CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Sky Broadcasting

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what timetable he has set for taking a decision on News Corporation's bid for BSkyB following the submission of Ofcom's report.

Jeremy Hunt: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) on 13 January 2011,  Official Report, column 386W.

Football Association

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has had recent discussions with the incoming chair of the Football Association to discuss football governance reform and supporter involvement.

Hugh Robertson: The new chair of the Football Association is not yet in post but, as soon as he is I intend to meet him as a priority.

Horserace Betting Levy

Duncan Hames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many licensed betting offices paid the Horserace Betting Levy  (a) at the 10 per cent. rate,  (b) between 4.5 per cent. and 10 per cent. and  (c) at a rate of 4.5 per cent. or lower in each of the last three years.

John Penrose: The Department does not hold the information requested.
	The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is responsible for collecting the levy from betting shops, and I have therefore asked the chief executive of the HBLB to write to the hon. Member for Chippenham directly.
	Copies of the response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Libraries: Opening Hours

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effects on the provision of library services of proposed changes to opening hours or the closure of libraries by local authorities.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to superintend the delivery of library services by local authorities, including any reduction in programmes. He takes this duty very seriously and we continue to monitor proposals being made about changes to library services across England. However, any specific assessment of the impact of any changes to services has to be made within the context of the exercise of statutory powers by the Secretary of State, consideration of which has to be made on a case by case basis and in accordance with the statutory provisions.
	Responsibility and accountability for day to day management of individual library services, including opening hours and closures, is vested in local authorities. Local authorities must be capable of demonstrating that they have discharged their statutory duty to provide a "comprehensive and efficient" library service and that they will continue to do so if changes are made to the service.

Olympic Games 2012

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Information in respect of the role of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

Hugh Robertson: A copy of the Memorandum of Information will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The Memorandum of Information was prepared by the Olympic Park Legacy Company as part of the process to select a long-term use for the Olympic stadium.

Tourism

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when the Minister responsible for tourism next plans to visit the North East.

John Penrose: I hope to visit the North East of England as part of an ongoing programme of regional trips which should help take forward the Government's new strategy for tourism. The next set of visits is currently under review and I hope to clarify details in due course.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess for benchmarking purposes the effect on the tourist industry in  (a) France,  (b) Spain and  (c) the Netherlands of reduced levels of value added tax for (i) hotel accommodation and (ii) restaurant meals in developing policies to assist the tourism industry.

John Penrose: Tax is a matter for Treasury Ministers. All taxes are kept under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor as part of the Budget process. The Government are committed to creating the best possible environment for a sustainable private sector led economic recovery. A competitive tax system is at the heart of our approach, but other factors (such as the levels of interest and exchange rates, which in turn depend on sound public finances) are also very important too.
	While the Government will consider carefully proposals for new reliefs that might assist the tourism and hospitality industry, the financial position we inherited means we must give priority to maintaining our fiscal base. So there are no current plans to assess the impact that the application of reduced VAT rates in France, Spain and the Netherlands has on the hotel and restaurant sectors in those countries.

Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what mechanisms are in place to measure the success of initiatives taken by his Department to increase competitiveness in the tourist industry.

John Penrose: We are currently considering initiatives to increase competitiveness in the tourism industry, and they will be included in the Tourism Strategy which we intend to publish shortly.
	When our consideration is finalised, we will decide what indicators will best show the success of our plans.

TRANSPORT

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1299W, on the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing, what steps his Department has taken to deal with congestion on roads in and around Thurrock attributable to congestion at the Dartford Crossing.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport's spending review announcement made clear that reducing congestion at the Dartford Crossing is a priority.
	We have set out proposals to allow investment in the short, medium and longer term improvements, including introduction of free-flow charging, consideration of charge suspension at time of particularly severe congestion, and exploring new additional capacity.
	In addition, the Highways Agency is investigating how to improve contingency plans and communication flows, with local authorities, county councils and major retail outlets such as Bluewater and Lakeside.

Departmental Press Releases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010.

Norman Baker: Since 26 May there have been no embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement organised by the Department for Transport's press office.

Transport: Capital Investment

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated for capital expenditure on transport infrastructure in each region in the next 12 months.

Norman Baker: Only a small part of the Department for Transport's budget is split by region in advance, the rest being allocated via a variety of transport providers and funding mechanisms, including a bids process, making it impractical to budget by region.
	However, estimates of future regional spending are produced for the public expenditure core tables which are annexed to the Department's annual Resource Accounts. Regional spending estimates for 2011-12 will be compiled later this year, to be published as an annex to the Department's 2010-11 Resource Accounts.

Trief Kerbs

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent safety assessments his Department has made of the use of trief kerbs.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has made no recent safety assessments on the use of trief kerbs.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Feed: Prices

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to investigate the effect on poultry farmers of recent trends in feed prices.

James Paice: The poultry industry is the single largest user of domestic cereal production. Feed is the largest component of the costs of production and consequently changes in cereal prices will have an immediate, direct effect on poultry farmer profitability. However, some opportunities exist for farmers to alter the composition of feed rations in order to minimise impacts on their business.
	While I always take a keen interest in this sector, there are no current plans to investigate this matter.

Dangerous Dogs

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to promote responsible dog ownership; if she will bring forward proposals to consolidate existing legislation regulating the ownership of dangerous dogs; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We appreciate that the issue of dangerous dogs is increasingly important to the public. We consider that it is not just a problem of dangerous breeds, but also one of bad owners. They need to be held to account and stopped from ruining people's lives.
	DEFRA is working closely with the Home Office on the antisocial behaviour dimension to this issue. We are also working with groups such as the RSPCA to look at other issues raised in the recent dangerous dogs consultation, such as micro-chipping and attacks on private property.
	The Government are currently working on a proposal for a project to look at the motivations, barriers and social norms surrounding the acquisition and keeping of 'status dogs' in urban communities in the UK. This project has the support of the Home Office, Communities, Metropolitan Police, RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
	An announcement about the Government's approach to dangerous dogs will be made early this year.

Environment Protection: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) funding and  (b) other support her Department plans to provide to (i) the National Trust, (ii) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (iii) the Wildlife Trusts Partnership, (iv) the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, (v) the Woodland Trust, (vi) Butterfly Conservation and (vii) Plantlife in each of the four financial years from 2011-12.

Richard Benyon: Spending plans for future financial years are still being developed and have not yet been finalised.

Food: Reserves

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days of food stocks at current consumption levels her Department holds in reserve.

James Paice: holding answer 13 January 2011
	The Government have no plans to hold reserve stocks of food. In the UK Food Security Assessment (published in August 2009 and updated in January 2010) DEFRA assesses that the UK enjoys a high level of food security, and we are continuously reviewing our evidence base to maintain this situation.

Forestry Commission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to put in place arrangements to ensure that forests owned or leased by the Forestry Commission continue to be certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council after the disposal of the public forest estate; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: Certification under the UK Woodland Assurance Standard is voluntary and this will be a decision for the new owners of woodland in the Forestry Commission's current asset sales programme. The consultation on the future ownership and management of the public forest estate will include proposals on how certification might be maintained.

Forestry Commission

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the monetary value was of bills to the Forestry Commission from selling agents for incomplete asset sales since May 2010; and how many such bills the Commission has received during that period.

James Paice: The Forestry Commission has received 21 bills since May 2010 totalling £73,363 for woodland placed on the market and later withdrawn from sale.

Forestry Commission

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the inclusion of woodlands designated by the Forestry Commission as heathland in that body's disposals programme; and what recent submissions she has received on this matter.

James Paice: Heathland and other open habitats are a small component of many of the Forestry Commission's woodlands across England. Under the previous Government, the Forestry Commission England selected its woodland sales programme from those areas which provide limited added value from public ownership in the delivery of public benefits. We are currently considering the sales criteria for woodland that will be placed on the market in 2011-12.

Forestry Commission

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many designated ancient woodlands have been removed from the Forestry Commission's disposals programme since May 2010; and what estimate has been made of the effects of such removals on the Forestry Commission's budget deficit for the financial year 2010-11.

James Paice: The Forestry Commission has withdrawn 17 designated ancient woodlands valued at £3.5 million from its 2010-11 asset sales programme. Due to the uncertainty in completing the sale of any woodland on a given time scale, the Forestry Commission's asset sales programme has flexibility built into it. That flexibility has ensured that the Forestry Commission does not expect there to be an impact on its budget from the withdrawal of these woodlands.

Forests

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect on the number of trees per hectare in woodland areas of her Department's policies in each of the next four years.

James Paice: No assessment has been made on this issue. The number of trees per hectare in any woodland is determined by the management regime and this is a decision for the woodland owner.
	The United Kingdom Forestry Standard does not specify a tree density for sustainable forest management and the ancient woodland practice guide gives a range of density from 2,500 to 50 stems per hectare as acceptable, dependant upon the situation.

Forests

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which proposals for restoration of woodland in England  (a) have been confirmed since May 2010,  (b) are under review and  (c) are not to be proceeded with;
	(2)  which proposals for restoration of woodland are under review by her Department following the outcome of the comprehensive spending review.

James Paice: holding answer 13 January 2011
	 DEFRA does not carry out the restoration of woodland. The Forestry Commission is responsible for delivery of forestry policy.
	Since May 2010, the Forestry Commission has approved applications under the English Woodland Grant Scheme for Woodland Regeneration Grants on 1,229 hectares (92 applicants) for the restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) to native woodland. A further 1,122 hectares (52 applications) are in progress and 23 hectares (three applications) have been withdrawn by the applicant before approval. No applications have been rejected.
	On the public forest estate, managed by the Forestry Commission, the focus of management of PAWS across the estate remains to enhance the ecological, social and economic value and ultimately to return them to native woodland species.

Nature Reserves

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what proposals her Department has to increase net levels of biodiversity on national nature reserve land in England in each of the next four financial years;
	(2)  what criteria for assessing levels of net biodiversity her Department will apply to the transfer of national nature reserve land from Natural England to the charitable, voluntary and third sectors;
	(3)  what options for the  (a) funding,  (b) ownership and  (c ) management of national nature reserves in England her Department is discussing with the charitable, voluntary and third sectors;
	(4)  what arrangements her Department plans to make for  (a) pensions and  (b) terms and conditions of employment of employees in national nature reserves managed by Natural England should such reserves be transferred to charities, voluntary groups, or the third sector;
	(5)  how many of the national nature reserves maintained by Natural England are to be transferred to  (a) the National Trust,  (b) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,  (c) the Wildlife Trusts Partnership,  (d) the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust,  (e) the Woodland Trust,  (f) Butterfly Conservation and  (g) Plantlife;
	(6)  how many requests she has received from wildlife charities to acquire national nature reserves maintained by Natural England;
	(7)  what level of savings she expects to make from the transfer of national nature reserves from Natural England to the charitable, voluntary or third sector in each of the next four financial years.

Richard Benyon: National nature reserves make an important and valuable contribution to the Government's biodiversity objectives, and to the public's understanding and appreciation of the natural environment. We need to look for ways to ensure that future management enhances their contribution, both at the national and local levels.
	We have been investigating different management options and have involved civil society partners in these discussions, and will consult on these in due course. Cost reduction is not the primary driver for this exercise and no estimate has been made of any savings which might result. A number of wildlife charities have expressed an interest in being involved in the process, but pending a more formal process, only one has specifically requested to acquire a national nature reserve. Many nature reserves are already managed by local, charitable or private bodies and while we continue to analyse the costs and benefits of different approaches to government-run sites, we have made no firm decisions about the role that the big society will play in the future of these important places.
	The great majority (98% by area) of national nature reserves are also designated as sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) and so are among our most precious wildlife sites. We will not take any risks with their future. Safeguards for biodiversity and other public benefits that these areas bring will remain no matter where ownership lies.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of hens which will have beaks trimmed in 2011; and what estimate she has made of the number which would have had beaks trimmed had the proposed prohibition on trimming come into effect in accordance with the timetable originally proposed; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We estimate that all hens housed in caged, free range and barn systems will be routinely beak trimmed. These account for around 18.6 million birds per year (approximately 94% of all laying hens). Organic laying hens are not routinely beak trimmed.
	We are not able to estimate the numbers of birds which might have been beak trimmed in an emergency following an outbreak of feather pecking and cannibalism had the prohibition on beak trimming come into effect.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her policy is on the uniform implementation of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive;
	(2)  whether she has made recent representations to the European Commission on implementation of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive in each member state.

James Paice: I am committed to supporting our industry and have therefore asked the Commission to provide sufficient enforcement controls across the EU to protect those UK producers who have invested heavily in complying with the legislation. I do not want to see UK producers disadvantaged if there was any delay to the ban, or if other member states do not meet the deadline. It is the Commission's responsibility to take a tough enforcement stance against non-compliant producers. The Government intend to take firm action against any UK producer still keeping laying hens in conventional cages after 1 January 2012.
	The Commission has repeatedly restated its commitment to the 2012 deadline, most recently when I met with Commissioner Dalli in November 2010. The Commission has recently asked member states to submit data on the number of laying hen production sites according to farming method. This data will be used at a multi-stakeholder conference organised by the Commission on 19 January to aid discussion on how converting to alternative systems is progressing throughout the EU.

Poultry: Swine Flu

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on the presence of H1N1 in poultry in the UK;
	(2)  on what date she was first notified that the H1N1 virus had been detected in poultry in the UK;
	(3)  on what date, and by what method, she notified the devolved Administrations of the presence of the H1N1 virus in poultry in the UK.

James Paice: I was first informed of the possibility of H1N1 being detected in poultry on 5 January; the devolved Administrations were informed by my officials on the same date by e-mail. The UK chief veterinary officer discussed the case with colleagues in the devolved Administrations on 6 January. As a result of further testing, the presence of H1N1 in poultry was confirmed to me and officials in the devolved Administrations, again by e-mail, on 7 January. An Information Notice was issued by DEFRA on 12 January when further tests confirmed that the strain of H1N1 that had been detected was of low pathogenicity and therefore was not a notifiable disease.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Control Orders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Attorney-General how many special advocates have been appointed in respect of control orders since such orders were introduced in 2005.

Edward Garnier: Special advocates are appointed by the Attorney-General.
	Since their introduction in 2005, special advocates have been appointed in respect of 37 control orders. In most cases two advocates are appointed to each case.

Control Orders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Attorney-General how many special advocates there are in post to support controlled individuals in closed sessions.

Edward Garnier: Special advocates are appointed by the Attorney-General.
	The Attorney-General maintains a panel of senior and junior counsel who have indicated an interest in undertaking special advocate work and who have been security vetted to an appropriate level. Although the number varies over time, there are currently 69 counsel on the panel of whom 67 are qualified to be appointed in control order cases.

Sentencing: Prisoners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General what advice he has given to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor on the compatibility with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights of plans to introduce the enfranchisement of sentenced prisoners in custody.

Dominic Grieve: By long-standing convention, observed by successive administrations and embodied in the Ministerial Code, the fact that the Law Officers have advised (or have not advised) on a particular issue, and the content of any advice, is not disclosed outside of Government.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department has allocated to the implementation of the findings of its low carbon capacity assessment studies; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not allocated any additional funding for the implementation of findings of the renewable and low carbon energy capacity assessment studies, beyond the existing support framework for renewables deployment.
	Local planning authorities are expected to have local plans in place which promote renewable energy and have regard to national policy. These plans should be founded on a robust evidence base. The Department intends the capacity assessment studies to be a tool to help local planning authorities and local communities in drawing up local and neighbourhood plans. It is for local planning authorities and communities to decide how best to use the findings of the studies to inform their development plans and to maximise opportunities for the deployment of renewable and low carbon energy in their areas.
	In the future local authorities will need to have regard to the National Planning Policy Framework, which will make it clear that planning has a big part to play in tackling climate change. The Department for Communities and Local Government has invited organisations and individuals to offer suggestions on what priorities and policies might be adopted in the framework, and will consult on a draft in 2011.

Carbon Emissions

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department is considering changes to its policies to reduce carbon emissions in order to meet climate change targets.

Gregory Barker: Latest emissions projections, published in June 2010, show that the UK is on track to meet its first three carbon budgets and has already reduced emissions by over 22% against 1990 levels, taking into account the effects of emissions trading. Additional policies to be implemented by the Government, such as the Green Deal, support for the world's first commercial scale CCS demonstration, and the roll-out of smart meters and a smart grid will build on this progress. Further information on the actions to take forward these policies can be found in DECC's business plan (published November 2010).

Electricity: Prices

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average change in electricity bills arising from the implementation of his proposals for reform of the energy market in each of the next five years.

Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 January 2011,  Official Report, column 256W.

Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to his answer of 21 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 863-64W, on energy policy, whether he plans to issue guidance to his officials on the definition of appropriate compensation and corresponding benefits for the purpose of reviewing cases in line with the policy set out in the written ministerial statement of 18 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 42-46WS, on energy policy; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has no plans to issue guidance to his officials on the definition of appropriate compensation and corresponding benefits.

Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contents of Chapter 3 of the International Energy Agency's report on the World Energy Outlook for 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Chapter 3 of the International Energy Agency's report is a valuable analysis, which provides a thorough overview of possible future scenarios for world oil markets between 2009 and 2035. These are based on current policies ("Current Policies Scenario"); policies consistent with commitments announced by individual countries ("New Policies Scenario"); and policies consistent with meeting a two degree climate change goal ("450 Scenario").
	The differences between these scenarios highlight that the outlook for oil is highly sensitive to policy action to curb rising demand and emissions. Under the Current Policies scenario oil import prices reach $135/barrel in 2035; under the New Policies scenario $113/barrel; and under the 450 Scenario $90/barrel. Under the New Policies scenario demand continues to grow steadily to 2035. All of the growth comes from non-OECD countries (57% from China alone), mainly driven by rising use of transport fuels. The main sources of increased oil production include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Brazil and the Caspian region. The role of unconventional oil (particularly Canadian oil sands and Venezuelan extra-heavy oil) is expected to expand rapidly, enabling it to meet about 10% of world oil demand in all three scenarios by 2035.
	The scenarios underline the importance of our policies to promote investment in oil production, enhance price stability through greater transparency and producer-consumer dialogue, and encourage low carbon growth to constrain demand as well as reduce CO2 emissions.

Energy Supply

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the merits of putting in place mechanisms to ensure fair competition between the renewable and traditional energy sectors.

Charles Hendry: The Government have recently published the Electricity Market Reform and Carbon Price Support consultation documents. These set out, and seek views on, a number of interventions that would change the investment incentives for renewables, other low carbon forms of generation and fossil fired plant within the competitive market.
	A White Paper later in 2011 will set out the final set of reforms that will ensure that the UK market design is able to support the low carbon investment that the renewables targets and 2050 objectives require.

Energy: Prices

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria Ofgem use to determine whether consumer energy tariffs currently offered by energy suppliers are unnecessarily complex or confusing.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is currently reviewing the retail market and, as part of this, will be looking at how effectively the energy companies have implemented the reforms introduced following its 2008 Energy Supply Probe. Ofgem will also be looking into issues concerning tariff complexity and consumer engagement.
	These reforms included a set of overarching standards of conduct, regarding how suppliers deal with consumers on issues such as the complexity of products, which Ofgem expects the suppliers to adhere to.
	These standards are not enforceable against energy suppliers, but are supported by obligations in licences and under consumer protection law, and form part of the wider context for possible Ofgem enforcement action.
	Ofgem will take the standards into account when considering consumer detriment and when deciding whether to investigate potential licence breaches by suppliers. The standards will continue to form part of the context as an investigation progresses and as Ofgem makes decisions on the action it might take.
	Ofgem has said that if suppliers do not meet their obligations they will consider more formal action.
	Further details of these standards can be found online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Standards%20of%20conduct %20for%20suppliers%20in%20the%20retail %20energy%20market.pdf
	In addition, we believe the provision of clear and comparable information on bills is crucial to energy users, to enable them to understand the range of products available to them. That is why we have introduced proposals in the Energy Bill that energy bills should tell consumers about their supplier's cheapest tariff.

Energy: Prices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made on modifying the conditions of supply licences to ensure that domestic consumers are notified by energy companies of changes to their gas and electricity tariffs within a specified period.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem are currently consulting on the impact assessment document of their proposals to change gas and electricity supply licences to require domestic suppliers to give advance notification of up to 30 days before a price increase becomes effective. Ofgem's consultation closes on 18 January and they are expected to announce the way forward shortly after. Under the Energy Act 2010, Ministers have powers to modify licences to require such advance notice and we have made it clear that we will use these powers if Ofgem is unable to introduce these changes in a timely manner.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with representatives of retail oil companies on their pricing strategy during periods of cold weather.

Charles Hendry: The UK retail oil market is open and competitive. The Office of Fair Trading continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully and is monitoring for any indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached.
	The Department has regular contact on issues affecting industry with trade associations that represent many oil suppliers. We have had no specific discussions with retail oil companies on pricing strategy during periods of cold weather.

Fuel Poverty

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the number of households in fuel poverty in  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral Borough Council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) the UK.

Gregory Barker: In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 6,400 fuel poor households in the Wallasey constituency, and around 20,900 fuel poor households in the Wirral local authority.
	More recent figures exist at regional level, and these show that in 2008, there were 531,000 fuel poor households in the north-west and 4.5 million fuel poor households in the UK.

Fuel Poverty

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the level of fuel poverty for each decile of the population by income in each year from 2011 to 2020.

Gregory Barker: Fuel poverty estimates by income decile are not currently available for the years 2011 to 2020. The latest year for which this information is available is 2008.
	The number of fuel poor households in England by income decile in 2008 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Income decile  Number of households in fuel poverty (thousand) 
			 1st decile (lowest income) 1,702 
			 2nd decile 883 
			 3rd decile 386 
			 4th decile 213 
			 5th decile 73 
			 6th to 10th decile (highest income) 78 
			 Total 3,335

Green Deal

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what timetable he has set for bringing forward his detailed proposals for the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: This is a market mechanism, so the detail of the final Green Deal products will be decided by private providers according to consumer preferences. The Department is responsible for providing the legislative framework to enable this. Our provisional timetable was set out on page seven of the 20-page Green Deal policy document, published alongside the Energy Bill 2010-11. It is as follows, subject to the time taken for parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill:
	December 2010: Introduction of the Energy Bill to Parliament.
	Pre-autumn 2011: Officials engage stakeholders as they develop the technical details for secondary legislation.
	Autumn 2011: Formal consultation on secondary legislation
	Early 2012: Secondary legislation laid before Parliament.
	Spring 2012: Detailed industry guidance prepared.
	Autumn 2012: First Green Deals appear.

Incinerators: Carbon Emissions

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average emissions in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour of  (a) incinerator and  (b) other thermal energy-from-waste facilities.

Gregory Barker: Within the UK, incinerators which generate electricity from municipal solid waste (MSW) are commonly referred to as energy from waste (EfW) plant. In 2008, the latest year for which data are available, we estimate that EfW plant produce 0.54 kt carbon dioxide equivalent per GWh (equivalent to 0.54 kg per kWh). This figure incorporates emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. It should be noted that there is a high level of uncertainty around this figure.
	All other incinerators in the UK, such as chemical or clinical waste incinerators, animal carcass incinerators or crematoria, do not generate any electricity. These are just "waste incinerators" and are typically smaller in capacity than the energy from waste plant used for MSW energy recovery and disposal.

London Energy Meeting

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made on energy subsidy reform at the London Energy Meeting in December 2008.

Charles Hendry: No agreements on energy subsidy reform were made at the London Energy Meeting.

Ofgem

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider the merits of extending the remit of Ofgem to include heating oil and its distribution.

Charles Hendry: The regulation of gas and electricity markets promotes competition and regulates the monopoly companies which run the electricity and gas networks.
	There is no natural monopoly for supply and distribution in the heating oil market. The OFT continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully, and monitor for indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached.
	However we are not complacent and will continue to monitor the situation carefully and will be considering whether any further action needs to be taken.

Renewable Energy

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of electricity supplied to households that is produced from renewable sources.

Charles Hendry: The majority of renewable electricity generated is supplied to the National Grid, who then transmit it across the country. As such, all grid connected UK households will receive the same proportion of electricity originating from renewable sources as the grid as a whole. DECC does not currently hold generation data for households directly supplied by renewable installations.
	DECC publishes data on the total amount of electricity supplied by renewable sources, which can be used to estimate the proportion of electricity supplied to households from renewable sources. In 2009, 6.7% of electricity generated in the UK was from renewable sources. The latest data for the 3rd quarter of 2010 show 8.8% of electricity generated was from renewable sources.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer of 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 410, on the renewable heat incentive (RHI), whether his Department plans to introduce a tariff for deep geothermal energy after the launch of the RHI.

Charles Hendry: We expect to be in a position to announce the details of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, including RHI tariffs and technologies supported shortly.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to introduce a dedicated tariff for deep geothermal energy when the Renewable Heat Incentive is launched in June this year.

Charles Hendry: We expect to be in a position to announce the details of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, including RHI tariffs and technologies supported shortly.

Sellafield

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on the current and future storage of radioactive waste arising in Scotland of all categories in  (a) Sellafield and  (b) West Cumbria.

Charles Hendry: The Department has had no recent discussions with the Scottish Government on the current and future storage of radioactive waste arising in Scotland, in Sellafield or West Cumbria.

Warm Front Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken by Eaga plc to carry out work under the Warm Front Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Under the Warm Front Scheme the average waiting time for heating and insulation measures is 65 and 23 days respectively(1).
	(1) Up to 26 December 2010 and based on waiting times between allocation of work to the installer and installation of measures.

Wind Power

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on wind turbine energy production of the low temperatures experienced since November 2010.

Charles Hendry: I have seen no evidence to suggest that the low temperatures experienced since November 2010 have had any effect on wind turbine energy production. National Grid data indicate that generating output from operationally metered wind turbines (which account for 40% of wind generating capacity) was 67% higher in November and December than in July and August. This is likely to be due to relatively higher average wind speeds in early November, and an increase in wind power capacity.

Wind Power: Carbon Emissions

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the net reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from wind power taking into account the provision of standby generation from conventional power stations in the latest period for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: The Department estimates that the net savings from wind power in 2009 were 5.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is based on an assessment of the weighted average carbon dioxide emissions of the fossil fuel mix in that year. It takes account of the effect of intermittency on the efficiency of plant used for back-up during times that wind-power was not available. Emissions from the electricity supply system, including from supplies used for back-up, are measured via the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The 2010 figure will be available following publication of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics, at the end of July 2011.

Wind Power: Manufacturing Industries

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to support companies manufacturing and installing wind turbines.

Charles Hendry: The renewables obligation is currently the Government's main financial incentive for renewable electricity, including wind power, and has been successful in more than tripling the level of renewable electricity in the UK from 1.8% in 2002 to 6.6% in 2009.
	The Department is also involved in providing support for small scale wind installations. In particular, the feed-in tariff came into force in April 2010 to provide financial incentives for the installation of small scale renewable electricity generation, including micro-wind. On 22 December 2010, we also published a consultation on a microgeneration strategy that marks the final stage in more than six months of collaborative engagement with industry and others on the options for removing barriers to deployment of all types of microgeneration.
	On the 25 October 2010, the Government announced up to £60 million to support the establishment of offshore wind manufacturing at ports sites in the assisted areas of England.
	DECC has also provided technology support through the Low Carbon Energy Demonstration capital grants scheme (which is not currently open to new proposals). In the course of three calls for proposals under the scheme, support was offered to 16 projects in the wind energy sector, worth a total of over £25 million. Future innovation support programmes for low carbon technologies, including off-shore wind, are being considered with decisions expect in the spring.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Finance

Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much financial support for young asylum seekers she plans to allocate to Croydon council in the next three years; how much such funding she allocated in the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Croydon local authority will be allocated funding for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in accordance with grant instructions that are published annually. They can be found at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/workingwithasylumseekers/local-authority-grants/
	Over the last three years Croydon has been awarded funding as follows:
	
		
			   £  Number supported 
			 2007-08 27,848,240 731 
			 2008-09 27,965,341 708 
			 2009-10 26,253,818 594 
		
	
	The amount that will be paid to Croydon council in the future will depend upon the number and age of the children supported, and the national daily rate set for the cost of supporting an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child. From 2010-11 this is £95 for every under 16 and £71 for every 16/17-year-old.
	In addition to the grant for unaccompanied asylum seeking children Croydon receive funding for former UASC who have turned 18 and are eligible for leaving care funding. This is as follows:
	
		
			   Leaving care (£ million) 
			 2007-08 2.4 
			 2008-09 3.1 
			 2009-10 3.9 
		
	
	The UK Border Agency has also offered Croydon additional funding for future years in recognition of their status as a "gateway" authority. This has yet to be agreed with the authority.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many automatic number plate recognition cameras are in use by each  (a) police force and  (b) of her Department's agencies in (i) England and (ii) Wales.

James Brokenshire: The number of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in use by police forces in England and Wales varies on a daily basis. The following tables show the number of cameras in use between 5 and 11( )January 2011, by force, based on data held by the National Policing Improvement Agency on the number of such cameras feeding data into the National ANPR Data Centre (NADC) during that period. Information on the number of ANPR cameras that may be in use by other agencies of the Home Office is not centrally collated.
	
		
			  (i) ANPR cameras i n use in England by force (5- 11 January 2011) 
			   Number 
			 Avon and Somerset 125 
			 Bedfordshire 57 
			 Cambridgeshire 63 
			 Cleveland 62 
			 Cumbria 28 
			 Derbyshire 91 
			 Devon Cornwall 45 
			 Dorset 51 
			 Durham 94 
			 Essex 161 
			 Gloucestershire 60 
			 Greater Manchester 234 
			 Hampshire 57 
			 Hertfordshire 178 
			 Humberside 59 
			 Kent 170 
			 Lancashire 86 
			 Leicestershire 76 
			 Lincolnshire 93 
			 Merseyside 254 
			 Metropolitan and City of London 473 
			 Norfolk 22 
			 North West Motorway Police Group(1) 117 
			 North Yorkshire 72 
			 Northamptonshire 69 
			 Northumbria 48 
			 Nottinghamshire 83 
			 South Yorkshire 247 
			 Staffordshire 35 
			 Suffolk 81 
			 Surrey 122 
			 Sussex 158 
			 Thames Valley 101 
			 Warwickshire 29 
			 West Mercia 70 
			 West Midlands 388 
			 West Yorkshire(2) - 
			 Wiltshire 66 
			 (1) The North West Motorway Police Group ANPR pool comprises data from cameras covering motorways in the Cheshire, Lancashire, and Merseyside police areas. Cheshire Constabulary feeds all its data into this data pool. (2) Due to a technical issue, no data was supplied to the NADC by West Yorkshire Police during the period sampled. 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) ANPR cameras in use in Wales  by force (5- 11 January 2011) 
			   Number 
			 Dyfed Powys 115 
			 Gwent 70 
			 North Wales 101 
			 South Wales 51

Crime

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the principal factors which account for the change in the number of crimes reported to the  (a) police and  (b) British Crime Survey in each year between 1996-97 and 2009-10.

Nick Herbert: Any factors affecting either police recorded crime or British Crime Survey (BCS) data are reported on in the published statistics. Since 2001-02 data for police recorded crime and the BCS have been reported together annually in 'Crime in England and Wales', published in July each year.
	Prior to 2001-02, police recorded crime data, together with commentary, was published annually in the Command Paper 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales'.
	Results and commentary from BCS sweeps between 1996-97 and 2001-02 were published in Home Office Statistical Bulletins in 2000 and 2001.
	Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.

Crime

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were notified to the police in England and Wales in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2008-09.

Nick Herbert: Financial year data are available only from 1998-99 onwards so figures for 1996 are given (the period with greatest overlap with 1996-97). In 1996 there were 5,036,552 offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, and in 2008-09 there 4,702,717 offences recorded.
	Because of the expanded coverage and changes to the counting rules in 1998-99, and the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in 2002-03, these two figures are not directly comparable.

Demonstrations: City of Westminster

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether she has received representations from  (a) the police,  (b) other agencies and organisations and  (c) individuals on the policing and conduct of the demonstrations in central London and elsewhere on 9 December 2010;
	(2)  whether she has had discussions with the Metropolitan police service on  (a) the containment practices deployed to maintain public order at demonstrations and  (b) their assessment of the effectiveness of such practices in policing the demonstration in London on 9 December 2010.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 16 December 2010
	The Home Office has received representations from both Members of Parliament and the public about the policing of the protest on 9 December, and has also received a report from the Metropolitan police.
	Tactics used by the police at this demonstration are an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Ministers have had a number of discussions with senior officers about demonstrations in London.

Demonstrations: City of Westminster

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who participated in the protests on  (a) 10 November 2010,  (b) 24 November 2010,  (c) 30 November 2010 and  (d) 9 December 2010 were subsequently arrested; and how many were detected from CCTV images.

James Brokenshire: As of 12 January, the total number of arrests resulting from each of the student protests was as follows:
	10 November-76 arrests
	24 November-56 arrests
	30 November-153 arrests to prevent breach of the peace; 21 arrests for substantive offences
	9 December-53 arrests.
	The Metropolitan police inform me that CCTV did significantly assist in detecting perpetrators for offences committed but it is not possible to break this down into a specific figure.

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many invoices her Department processed in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what the average cost to her Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period her Department paid  (a) electronically and  (b) by cheque.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department processes its invoices through the Ministry of Justice Shared Service Centre.
	From December 2009 to November 2010, 99,465 invoices for the Department were processed.
	The average cost (October 2010) of processing an invoice was £2.51 per invoice. This was the cost of the Shared Service Centre teams directly involved with processing the invoice and their share of the overheads.
	The proportion of invoices paid electronically during 2009-10 was 98.48% and the proportion paid by cheque during 2009-10 was 1.52%. This is the last full financial year data available.

Departmental Manpower

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of her Department work outside the UK.

Nick Herbert: There are no Home Department employees whose normal place of employment is outside the UK and we do not keep central records of those who may travel abroad on official business for all or part of their duties. 54 Home Office employees are on loan or secondment to other Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth office. Our records do not show how many of these may be based overseas. To gather and provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Overtime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on overtime for staff working in the Secretary of State's private office in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The expenditure incurred by the Department on staff claiming overtime in the Home Secretary's private office over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Overtime expenditure 2006 to 2010 
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2006-07 41,748 
			 2007-08 38,079 
			 2008-09 25,099 
			 2009-10 25,084 
			 2010-11 (8 months) 17,004

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on press cuttings services in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: Press cutting services are used to inform policy development and parliamentary decisions across a wide range of issues.
	The Department's expenditure on press cuttings is set out in the following table. Expenditure on the UK Border Agency (now a Home Office agency) has been excluded to allow comparability of expenditure across the years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2005-06 116,000 
			 2006-07 297,000 
			 2007-08 206,000 
			 2008-09 181,000 
			 2009-10 182,000 
			 2010-11 (expenditure up to November 2010) 105,000 
		
	
	Each year's data is expressed in that year's current prices and therefore do not take account of inflation. Data prior to April 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Figures quoted in the table are inclusive of VAT and all National Licensing Authority Fees. Extracting these costs would be disproportionately costly.
	All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) steps she is taking to encourage small businesses to bid for contracts let by her Department and  (b) recent guidance she has provided to small businesses on bidding for such contracts.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department is currently producing a plan in support of the Government's initiative on creating opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and third sector organisations. It builds from the Department's current ability to identify its small business suppliers, which comprises 38% of the suppliers used and represents 9% of its supplier spend. This is complemented by the Department's good record of prompt payment within five days.
	The Department is actively contributing to the cross government agenda which is being led by the Efficiency Reform Group.
	The Department also assists small businesses in reducing the barriers they face in bidding through simplifying processes and placing lower value contract opportunities on the Supply2.gov.uk national portal. The Department fully supports cross government policy by guiding small businesses to access opportunities which are available via use of the portal.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with voluntary and community groups on bidding for contracts let by her Department.

Nick Herbert: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has not had any recent discussions with this specific sector. However the Department continues to support both voluntary and community groups in the form of grants contributing to projects and programmes at a local level.

Departmental Travel

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on grey fleet in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Nick Herbert: The Department's expenditure on grey fleet is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2009-10 254 
			 2008-09 248 
		
	
	All travel by civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code and guidance contained within Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Home Office policy on travel requires staff to obtain authority from their line manager to use a private vehicle for official travel before undertaking any journey.

DNA: Databases

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will have responsibility for the National DNA database after the National Policing Improvement Agency has been phased out.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office is currently working with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), and the wider police service, to determine appropriate arrangements for running those functions that will continue after the NPIA is phased out.

Entry Clearances: Dalai Lama

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what applications for visas to visit the UK her Department has received from the Dalai Lama in the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Entry Clearances: Married People

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made for marriage visas to enter the UK where the intended spouse was resident in the London borough of Bexley in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas students have had their visas revoked for breach of their visa conditions in each year since 2001.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not keep a central record of the number of individuals whose leave was curtailed or application refused for breaching their visa conditions. This information could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Exclusion Orders: USA

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will refuse a visa to Pastor Jones of Florida on account of his expressed views on Muslims.

Damian Green: It is not Home Office policy to comment on individual cases.

Extradition

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to report to the House the outcome of her Department's review of extradition.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 12 January 2011
	In line with the written ministerial statement of 8 September 2010,  Official Report, column 18WS, the independent panel undertaking the review of extradition are due to publish their findings in September 2011. Once the Government have considered the panel's report and examined whether changes need to be made to the UK's extradition arrangements, they will report their conclusions to Parliament.

Firearms: Licensing

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms licences were granted to people 25 years of age or under in each of the last five years in  (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and  (b) the UK.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 20 December 2010
	 The total number of firearm and shotgun certificates granted to people aged 25 years or under in each calendar year from 2006 to 2010 are set out in the following tables for: (1) Northumbria police force and (2) England and Wales. The data were extracted from the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) which holds data at the police force area level for police forces in England and Wales. It is therefore not possible to provide data specific to Newcastle-upon-Tyne or for the UK.
	Data relating to firearm and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in Scotland are submitted to, and published by, the Scottish Government. The provided data are provisional and subject to revision or change. NFLMS data are normally used for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks applied to datasets used for National Statistics publications.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of firearm and shotgun certificates granted to people aged 25 years or under by Northumbria police force  in each calendar year from 2006- 10 
			   Number of persons  Number of certificates 
			 2006 70 86 
			 2007 72 83 
			 2008 69 77 
			 2009 71 82 
			 2010 70 81 
			  Notes: 1. Some individuals were granted more than one certificate (ie one for firearms and one for shotguns). 2. The figures do not include certificates renewed or already held. 3. The provided data are provisional and subject to revision or change. NFLMS data are normally used for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks applied to datasets used for National Statistics publications. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of firearm and shotgun certificates granted to people aged 25 years or under by all police forces in England and Wales in each calendar year from 2006 - 10 
			   Number of persons  Number of certificates 
			 2006 3,400 3,799 
			 2007 3,205 3,516 
			 2008 3,677 4,106 
			 2009 3,648 4,000 
			 2010 3,288 3,592 
			  Notes: 1. Some individuals were granted more than one certificate (ie one for firearms and one for shotguns). 2. The figures do not include certificates renewed or already held. 3. The provided data are provisional and subject to revision or change. NFLMS data are normally used for management and operational information only, and are not subject to the detailed quality checks applied to datasets used for National Statistics publications.

Firearms: Licensing

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons convicted of offences for which they have served terms of imprisonment of less than three years hold  (a) shotgun and  (b) firearm certificates in the (i) Metropolitan Police Service area, (ii) West Midlands Police Service area and (iii) Greater Manchester Police Service area.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held centrally. Court proceedings data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice include information on defendants and offences committed in England and Wales. No information about the circumstances of offences, including whether or not defendants held firearm certificates, is held unless specified in a statute.

Fixated Threat Assessment Centre

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what future plans she has for the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) is a joint Home Office-NHS funded body. Information about its activities can be found at:
	www.fixatedthreat.com
	The Home Office will continue to endorse and use the principles developed by FTAC in responding to the serious issue of stalking.
	The Home Office expects to continue to financially contribute towards supporting FTAC over this spending period.

Forensic Science Service

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential effects of abolishing the Forensic Science Service Ltd on the forensic science sector.

James Brokenshire: We made the decision to manage the closure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in close consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and other partners across the Criminal Justice System (CJS). It is their collective view that a managed closure is in the best interests of the system as a whole.
	ACPO have been clear that the forensics market can cope with the managed wind-down of the FSS. Feedback from the police and suppliers suggests that a managed wind-down will allow for an orderly transfer of capacity that minimises the cost to the taxpayer and enables us to manage the risks to the CJS.
	We are working closely with ACPO, National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the FSS board to put in place plans to maintain a sustainable operational and research capability within the forensics market both during and after the transition. We are committed to minimising the impact on the CJS and the continued provision of effective forensics is a priority for the Home Office.

Greater Manchester Police: Grants

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police on the effects on that police force of proposed reductions in police grants to Greater Manchester Police Authority in 2011-12.

Nick Herbert: Ministers have regular discussions with chief constables on a range of issues about policing. Decisions about the number of police officers and other police staff engaged by the Greater Manchester police are a matter for the chief constable and the police authority.
	In a recent statement, available at:
	http://www.gmp.police.uk/mainsite/pages/de394f0db 5390748802577dc003ef9d5.htm
	the chief constable of Greater Manchester police stated that:
	"the end result will be more resources put into frontline policing and a more efficient and effective service for the people of Greater Manchester.'

Immigration

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for leave to remain in the UK were made outside the immigration rules in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The numbers of applications for leave to remain in the UK made outside the immigration rules in the last 12 months between 1 January and 31 December 2010 was 11,588.
	This is internal management information and is subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under the National Statistics protocols.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the number of non-EEA residents who entered the UK after having gained  (a) citizenship and  (b) indefinite leave to remain in other EU member states in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not hold this information. When a citizen of the EU enters the United Kingdom, it is not evident from their passport or national identity card how they obtained EU citizenship in another country.
	When a non-EEA citizen wishes to enter the United Kingdom, the individual is not required to provide evidence of having obtained indefinite leave to remain in another EU member state, and it may not be evident from their passport that such status was held. This is because at the point of arrival into the United Kingdom, non-EEA passengers must instead provide a valid United Kingdom entry clearance visa.

Immigration: Health

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of non-EU nationals who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK on medical grounds in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not record the number of all non-EU nationals who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK on medical grounds in their standard reports.
	To obtain such information for previous years would involve a case by case search or significant report development work at disproportionate cost.

Missing Persons: Dementia

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of calls police forces received concerning a missing person diagnosed with a form of dementia in the latest period for which figures are available; and the cost to the public purse of responding to such calls.

Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally.

Naturalisation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether time spent in the UK by a foreign national on a student visa counts towards the qualifying period for naturalisation as a British citizen; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The position has not changed since my response of 21 July 2010,  Official Report, column 445W. Time spent in the United Kingdom on a student visa can count towards the residence requirements for naturalisation if a person meets the statutory requirements on the date of application.
	Any change to the requirements for naturalisation would require legislative change. There are no plans to do so at the current time.

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the likely effects of the implementation of proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A on  (a) race relations and  (b) relations between communities and the police.

Nick Herbert: The reduction in recording requirements for stop and search was part of the previous government's Crime and Security Act 2010, and as such went through a formal equality impact assessment which was published in 2009. The assessment found that the reduced recording time should help improve the quality of each encounter, which in turn should help improve relations between the police service and the communities they serve.
	The proposal to abolish the national recording requirement for stop and account has been assessed and a draft equality impact assessment is due to be published shortly. The proposals make it clear that some forces may wish to continue to monitor the ethnicity of people stopped, where there are local concerns about the use of stop and account.
	These changes encourage the police to work closely with their community to ensure they understand and act on local concerns, rather than being directed to collect data from a central source.

Police Community Support Officers: Aberconwy

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers were assigned to duties in Aberconwy constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Constituency level data of this type are not collected centrally. The latest available data that show police community support officer strength for north Wales by basic command unit, as at 31 March 2010, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength by basic command unit, 31 March 2010( 1, 2) 
			  Police force  Basic command unit  Full-time equivalents 
			 North Wales North Wales Central 41 
			  North Wales Eastern 65 
			  North Wales Western 51 
			  Central Services 0 
			
			 Total  156 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number Figures include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.  (2) Source:  Home Office using data received from police forces via the Annual Data Requirement.

Police Community Support Officers: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for future protection of the budget allocation for recruitment and retention of police community support officers in North Wales Police.

Nick Herbert: The Government announced on 13 December as part of the police funding settlement that, in recognition of the essential role the police community support officers (PCSOs) play, the Neighbourhood Policing Fund will be maintained over the next two years, before being devolved to Police and Crime Commissioners. About 90% of the grant is ring-fenced for PCSOs-contributing up to 75% of their salary costs.

Police: Conduct

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has made an assessment of the responses of police forces to Independent Police Complaints Commission reports on police conduct during investigations of allegations of rape; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 10 January 2011
	The response by a police force to any report into its conduct by the Independent Police Complaints Commission is a matter for that force and its respective police authority, and such information is not held centrally by the Home Office.

Police: Helicopters

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she issues to police authorities on the criteria to be used in assessing requirements for police helicopters; and whether such criteria include the use of helicopters for  (a) missing person searches,  (b) safety in coastal areas and  (c) other non-criminal uses.

Nick Herbert: There is no guidance issued to police authorities or police forces on the criteria to be used in assessing requirements for police helicopters. The decision on whether to use a helicopter for missing person searches, safety in coastal areas, and other non-criminal uses is one for chief officers to make in accordance with local priorities.

Prince William: Security

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of security provided for HRH Prince William and Catherine Middleton in Anglesey; and whether she has made an estimate of any change in that amount following the announcement of their engagement.

Nick Herbert: We are unable to provide detailed information on the cost of security to protected individuals or to confirm which individuals do or do not receive protection. To do so would compromise the integrity of the security arrangements of the individuals concerned.
	On the issue of the costs of personal protection, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given on 13 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 885-86W.

Radicalism: Internet

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken against websites hosting content which promote violent radical activities linked to Islam.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 20 December 2010
	The coalition Government take the threat of online Islamic extremism very seriously. Where unlawful content is hosted in the United Kingdom, the police are able to require its removal under powers provided in the Terrorism Act 2006. In cases where unlawful content is hosted overseas, we work closely with our international partners and the internet industry to effect their removal.

Special Constables

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many volunteers are registered to work for each police force.

Nick Herbert: The most recent figures for the numbers of special constables in each police force area in England and Wales as at 31 March 2010 are contained in the following table. These figures were published in July 2010 in the Home Office statistical bulletin 'Police Service Strength, England and Wales, 31 March 2010', which is available online at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1410.pdf
	The Home Office does not collect figures on the numbers of voluntary police staff or voluntary police cadets.
	
		
			  Special constable strength as at 31 March 2010 by police force area, England and Wales 
			  Police force  Total strength 
			 Avon and Somerset 449 
			 Bedfordshire 210 
			 Cambridgeshire 167 
			 Cheshire 300 
			 Cleveland 238 
			 Cumbria 115 
			 Derbyshire 302 
			 Devon and Cornwall 592 
			 Dorset 300 
			 Durham 131 
			 Essex 682 
			 Gloucestershire 167 
			 Greater Manchester 400 
			 Hampshire 449 
			 Hertfordshire 344 
			 Humberside 341 
			 Kent 310 
			 Lancashire 470 
			 Leicestershire 240 
			 Lincolnshire 163 
			 London, City of 79 
			 Merseyside 446 
			 Metropolitan Police 3,177 
			 Norfolk 266 
			 Northamptonshire 180 
			 Northumbria 178 
			 North Yorkshire 184 
			 Nottinghamshire 298 
			 South Yorkshire 227 
			 Staffordshire 334 
			 Suffolk 328 
			 Surrey 327 
			 Sussex 240 
			 Thames Valley 408 
			 Warwickshire 212 
			 West Mercia 233 
			 West Midlands 591 
			 West Yorkshire 421 
			 Wiltshire 250 
			 Dyfed-Powys 171 
			 Gwent 144 
			 North Wales 193 
			 South Wales 248 
			 Total all 43 forces 15,505 
			  Note: Special constable figures are given as headcount measures.

Terrorism: Islam

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on encouraging Muslim mosque leaders who expel extremists of their obligations to alert the appropriate authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 21 December 2010
	All institutions and citizens have a responsibility to alert the authorities about any threats to national security or public safety of which they become aware. The Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government actively support local partnerships of the police, local government and other statutory agencies to develop good relationships with community and faith organisations. This helps build the mutual trust and confidence important to creating communication channels in which information of relevance to the protection of the public can be shared.
	Any member of the public can also report information to the National Terrorist Hotline and to Crimestoppers.
	A review of Prevent is under way and the outcome will be announced in due course.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Gypsy and Traveller Sites

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to withdraw planning circulars 04/2007 and 01/2006 on Gypsy and Traveller sites.

Bob Neill: The Government have announced their intention to withdraw circulars 01/2006 on Gypsy and Traveller sites and 04/2007 on Travelling Showpeople sites, subject to necessary impact assessments. The circulars will be replaced with a short, light-touch new policy. There will be a full public consultation on our proposed new policy shortly.

Local Authority Spending Details: Online Publication

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have published online details of their spending over £500 to date.

Eric Pickles: Our latest assessment is that at least 193 local authorities are publishing their spending data online.

Efficiency Savings

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to reward local authorities for making efficiencies.

Grant Shapps: This Government believe that efficiency is its own reward.
	The public will not tolerate waste and duplication and will, rightly, hold their local authority to account for the decisions they take in relation to how services are managed. More councils should follow the example of authorities like West Oxfordshire and Cotswolds who are already sharing chief executives and a senior manager.

Regulatory Burden

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the burden of regulation on local government.

Eric Pickles: This Government are committed to radically reducing the burden of regulation on local government. We have already freed councils from the top down controls of comprehensive area assessment and local area agreement targets. The Localism Bill will go further, scrapping regional strategies and housing targets, the Standards Board regime, and the duty to promote local democracy.

Provision of Local Services

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to encourage the provision of local services by community groups.

Greg Clark: The Localism Bill, which has its second reading today, includes a Community Right to Challenge. This will enable voluntary and community bodies, as well as parish councils and local authority employees, to express an interest in running a local authority service, which may trigger a procurement exercise for that service.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new social home builds he expects to be started in  (a) Gateshead local authority,  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) England in each year of the spending review period.

Andrew Stunell: In the spending review we announced almost £4.5 billion investment in new affordable housing to deliver up to 150,000 affordable homes. We are giving housing associations much more flexibility on rents and use of assets thus increasing their financial capacity, so our aspiration is to deliver as many as homes as possible through our investment and reforms. The number of homes started and delivered in each year will be dependent on agreements between housing associations and the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with local authorities.

Affordable Housing: Mortgages

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to allow those who purchased their home through the Homebuy scheme to apply for assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

Andrew Stunell: The Government's Mortgage Rescue Scheme aims to help vulnerable homeowners who are at risk of repossession to remain in their home. This includes Homebuy purchasers who bought their home with the assistance of an equity loan. Eligible applicants are homeowners with dependent children, elderly and vulnerable groups who cannot afford their mortgage payments and who would be legally entitled to homelessness assistance if repossessed. Applicants for the scheme are considered by local authorities as part of their homelessness prevention duties.
	Homebuy purchasers who buy on a shared ownership basis are not eligible for assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme because they already have additional protections through the support offered by housing associations, including flexible tenure arrangements under which their housing association landlord may buy back some or all of the shared owner's equity. Housing associations may reinvest capital grant to provide flexible tenure and, if this is not available, apply to the Homes and Communities Agency for funding on a case by case basis in order to assist a shared owner who meets the eligibility criteria for the national scheme.

Fire Services: Finance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his estimate is of the likely average change in the budgets of fire and rescue services in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for distributing central Government funding across the fire and rescue service in England. However individual fire and rescue authority budgets are made up of a number of elements in addition to central Government funding and all fire and rescue authority budgets are set by the individual authority, not by Government.

Fire Services: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many whole-time firefighters were employed by  (a) the London Fire Brigade and  (b) each metropolitan fire authority in each year since 1996.

Bob Neill: The numbers of whole-time firefighters employed by  (a) the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and  (b) each metropolitan fire authority in each year since 1996 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Whole - time firefighters (full- time equivalent) in metropolitan fire authorities, 1996 to 2010 
			  At 31 March( 1) :  London FEPA  Greater Manchester  Merseyside  South Yorkshire  Tyne and Wear  West Midlands  West Yorkshire 
			 1996 6,235 2,173 1,485 888 1,057 2,089 1,758 
			 1997 6,131 2,151 1,515 900 1,034 2,070 1,747 
			 1998 5,909 2,150 1,481 916 1,023 2,044 1,723 
			 1999 5,973 2,135 1,457 907 994 2,060 1,723 
			 2000 5,639 2,071 1,420 919 1,017 2,033 1,680 
			 2001 5,693 2,090 1,369 920 1,010 2,031 1,683 
			 2002 5,913 2,148 1,317 923 1,009 2,028 1,660 
			 2003 5,875 2,139 1,342 914 999 1,971 1,678 
			 2004 5,986 2,100 1,319 916 970 1,968 1,653 
			 2005 5,924 2,028 1,249 878 945 1,944 1,602 
			 2006 5,953 1,900 1,148 870 921 1,836 1,550 
			 2007 5,929 1,938 1,105 834 902 1,904 1,512 
			 2008 5,910 1,943 1,044 834 912 1,937 1,501 
			 2009 6.026 1,925 990 831 891 1,831 1,489 
			 2010 5,900 1,887 923 786 867 1,868 1.476 
			 (1) Data for 1996 to 1998 at 1 January.  Source: Annual Returns to DCLG

Fire Services: Tyne and Wear

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the proposed budget reductions for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are twice the national average for fire and rescue service budget reductions.

Bob Neill: It is the responsibility of local authorities, including Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to determine their budget, taking into account the amount of Government grant that they will receive and the income that they can raise.

Green Belt

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on the future of the green belt;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to protect the green belt in England.

Bob Neill: In the coalition agreement the Government committed themselves to maintaining the green belt. National planning policy on green belt is currently set out in PPG2 (Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, "Green Belts"), which establishes a presumption against inappropriate development on green belt land. Green belt prevents urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. Local planning authorities must have regard to PPG2 when plan-making or deciding planning proposals affecting green belt.
	In December we announced the start of work to create a National Planning Policy Framework. As part of this process, we will consider how best to update green belt policy. The abolition of Regional Strategies via the Localism Bill will help protect the green belt by removing top-down directives to review or weaken green belt protection in over 30 towns and areas across England.

Local Government Finance

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was provided to each local authority in Supporting People Grant in the financial year 2010-11; and how much he plans to allocate to each local authority from that grant in the financial year 2011-12.

Bob Neill: In distributing the 2010-11 Supporting People allocations via Area Based Grant, the allocations to local authorities were damped to ensure that no authority received a large cut year-on-year. The damped 2010-11 allocations by local authority can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/xls/153658811.xls
	Since Supporting People was one of the services transferred into formula grant from 2011-12 it is no longer damped separately but instead is included in the damping applied to total formula grant which also ensures that no authority receives a large cut year-on-year on a like-for-like basis. For this reason, and due to the fact that formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided to each local authority after floor damping for supporting people. The spending review has secured £6.5 billion of investment in supporting people over the next four years.

Local Government Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to enable local government capital receipts to be used for revenue functions in 2011-12.

Bob Neill: The use of capital receipts by local government for revenue purposes is capitalisation. Whether it is through borrowing or use of capital receipts, capitalisation counts as public spending, and has implications for the wider economy and national deficit reduction. As such it is strictly controlled and subject to an application process.
	As announced in the spending review, there will be £200 million of capitalisation available in 2011-12, and the Government intend to issue full guidance in February.

Local Government Finance: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from Gateshead local authority following the provisional Local Government Finance settlement.

Bob Neill: I have not, as of 12 January 2011, received a representation from Gateshead council on the provisional Local Government Finance settlement for 2011-12. The consultation period on the settlement ends on 17 January 2011.

Local Government Finance: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed reduction in formula grant funding for local authorities on Gateshead local authority;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his Department's funding levels for local authorities on the community and voluntary sector in Gateshead.

Bob Neill: Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities, and we do not intend to place restrictions on any decisions they might make on funding, including grants to the voluntary sector. We do not expect authorities to respond to reductions in their budgets by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
	Measures to be taken in the Localism Bill will establish new rights for voluntary and community groups to deliver local services. The Government have also created a Transition Fund that will support the voluntary and community sector during the first year of the spending review and have made available a transition grant of £85 million in 2012-13 and £14 million in 2012-13 to protect those authorities most in need.

Local Government Finance: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the overall reduction in formula grant funding for Gateshead local authority over the spending review period is expected to fall in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13.

Bob Neill: Details of the provisional local government finance settlements for 2011-12 and 2012-13 can be found at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm
	Details of spending review departmental settlements are available on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_index.htm

Non-domestic Rates

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities collected more in non-domestic rates than they retained to be spent locally in 2009-10; and what net contribution each such local authority made to the Exchequer in 2009-10.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Corby (Ms Bagshawe) on 6 December 2010,  Official Report, column 57W.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of the reduction of the empty property rates threshold on the business sector.  [Official Report, 26 January 2011, Vol. 522, c. 1MC.]

Bob Neill: This Government recognises the problems caused by the previous Government's reforms of empty property rates.
	Our ability to take action on this needs to be balanced against the costs involved, the targeted support that we have already provided on business rates and the overriding need to reduce public expenditure and support the economy generally by reducing the deficit.
	We therefore have no immediate plans to reverse the reforms, and taking the above matters into consideration, the empty property rate threshold will revert to £2,600 from 1 April 2011. We will, however, certainly keep this matter under review.
	No assessment has been made of the effect of the reduction of the empty property rates threshold on the business centre sector.
	As I outlined in my written statement of 13 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 61-62WS, it would cost £400 million to continue with the temporary empty rates measure, which unfortunately is not fiscally sustainable given the public finances that the new Government have inherited from the last administration.

Planning

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to strengthen planning enforcement in relation to unauthorised development.

Bob Neill: The Government take the problem of unauthorised development seriously. The Localism Bill, introduced to Parliament on 13 December, includes provisions aimed at strengthening local planning authorities' powers to tackle the problem. A revised enforcement policy will be included in the National Planning Policy Framework and consulted on in due course.

Sure Start Programme: Hammersmith and Fulham

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what communications his Department has had with Hammersmith and Fulham council on Sure Start programmes since the date of the announcement of the provisional local government finance settlement for 2011-12.

Bob Neill: The Department holds no record of communications with representatives of London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on Sure Start programmes since the provisional local government finance settlement was announced on 13 December 2010.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Mark Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department issues to local planning authorities on  (a) distances from residential properties and  (b) preservation of open land in relation to wind turbines; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Current planning policy for renewable energy is supported by a practice guide. The guide provides advice on how to implement the planning policy and avoid unacceptable impacts from wind turbines, including on residential property and open land. In doing so, the guidance provides advice on safe separation distances between wind turbines and occupied property and how to assess landscape and visual impacts.

PRIME MINISTER

Banks: Incentives

John Mann: To ask the Prime Minister on which occasions he has discussed with the chief executives of  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland Group,  (b) Lloyds Banking Group and  (c) Barclays (i) the bonuses paid to their staff and (ii) their personal bonus since 1 December 2010.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the list of official meetings by Ministers with external organisations which is published on a quarterly basis, in accordance with the Ministerial Code. I also refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 12 January 2011. A copy of the transcript is available on the No. 10 website
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-briefings/2011/01/morning-press-briefing-from-12-ianuary-2011-58711

Departmental Press Releases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions his Office has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Office was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Office has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010.

David Cameron: On 15 June 2010 I made a statement in relation to the publication of the Bloody Sunday report. With the agreement of the Speaker and under strictly controlled conditions, accredited media representatives were allowed advance sight of the report one hour before the oral statement. The embargo was not breached.

Local Government

Jon Trickett: To ask the Prime Minister which  (a) meetings and  (b) other events have been held at Downing street for local authority leaders and councillors and which have been attended by councillors and hon. Members since the general election.

David Cameron: Information on official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street is published by means of an annual list as soon as it is ready at the end of the financial year.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Grand Committee System

Matthew Offord: To ask the Leader of the House whether he has assessed the value for money of the Grand Committee system of the House.

George Young: I have made no such assessment.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Speaker's Committee

John Stanley: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, on what dates the Speaker's Committee on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has met; and what the date is of its next meeting.

Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority met on 30 June, 5 July, 6 July and 12 July 2010, as required by the statute in order to consider IPSA's draft estimate for 2010-11. No date has yet been announced for its next meeting, but the process for consideration of the 2011-12 draft estimate is expected to commence shortly.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Capita

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has with Capita; and how much it has paid to Capita under such contracts in 2010-11 to date.

Chris Grayling: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has seven contracts with the Capita plc Group of companies. The contract descriptions and their actual spend in the financial year 1 April to 31 December 2010 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Contract name  Spend (£) 
			 Professional and Specialist Interim Personnel 19,820,999 
			 Record Storage 11,304,383 
			 Principal Civil Service Pensions and Senior Level Recruitment 133,708 
			 Recruitment 66,709 
			 Voice Risk Analysis 10,543 
			 Extending Working Life National Guidance Initiative 270,891 
			 PPF Service Secure Environment 0 
			 Total 31,607,233 
		
	
	Spend for April to December 2010-11 when compared to the same period last year has reduced by over 30% across these contracts and we continue to scrutinise all departmental expenditure with a view to driving out inefficiencies and delivering value for money for the taxpayer.

Council Tax Benefits

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the likely change in the level of  (a) in-work and  (b) child poverty in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland, (iv) England and (v) the UK consequent on local authorities having discretion over levels of council tax benefit.

Steve Webb: We are still in the process of finalising decisions on the future of council tax benefit, including how it will be delivered. We will publish an impact assessment for the proposed changes to council tax benefit in the normal way, accompanying the relevant legislation when introduced in Parliament.

Crisis Loans

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans his Department has issued to residents of  (a) North West Durham constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The information available is as follows:
	
		
			  Initial crisis loan awards made from January to December 2010 
			   Number 
			 North East 173,360 
			 England 2,188,620 
			  Notes:  1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, the numbers given do not include awards processed clerically which had not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.  2. The number of initial crisis loan awards is not available by constituency, but only by Government office region or Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area.  3. The North East has been interpreted as the Government office region of that name.  4. Numbers are for initial awards only and do not include awards made after review.  5. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest ten.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Employment Schemes: Further Education

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals Jobcentre Plus referred to a further education college for education and training in each region in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: This information is not available. Jobcentre Plus refers customers in England to Skills Funding Agency funded providers. Some of these are colleges and some of these are private sector providers, but Jobcentre Plus can not disaggregate referral data between college and non college providers.

Employment Schemes: Watford

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Watford who have taken part in jobseeker's schemes delivered for his Department by Kennedy-Scott Ltd have found permanent employment since 2005.

Chris Grayling: We hold data on paid outcomes (not individuals) for contract package areas going back to 2007. We are unable to provide data in the form requested.

Employment Schemes: Watford

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department paid to Kennedy-Scott Ltd for the delivery of jobseeker's schemes in Watford in each year since 2005.

Chris Grayling: Information on spending in support of Welfare to Work programmes at a local level would be available only at a disproportionate cost. Our spending with Kennedy-Scott Ltd on Welfare to Work programmes on a national basis in each financial year since 2004-05 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Supplier: Kennedy-Scott Ltd 
			   Spend (£) 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 2,784,373 
			 2008-09 2,023,484 
			 2009-10 3,089,618 
			 2010-11 2,267,297 
			 Total 10,164,772

Fuel Poverty

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will discuss with the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland emergency measures to reduce fuel poverty in households as a result of recent extreme cold temperatures; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Government remain committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to help eradicate fuel poverty and we are currently considering the ways in which we can make further progress towards our 2016 (2018 in Wales) fuel poverty target.
	The cold weather payment scheme provides financial support for the most vulnerable during periods of exceptionally cold weather. So far this winter we have provided over £440 million of support across the UK through the scheme. In addition, this Government have made permanent the previously temporary increase to £25 in the weekly cold weather payment amount.
	The Government have also made a commitment to protect financial support provided via the winter fuel payment, which makes a significant contribution towards winter fuel bills. For winter 2010-11, individuals who have reached women's state pension age will receive this payment worth £250 for households with someone aged up to 79, and £400 for households with someone aged 80 or over. Each winter we spend around £2.7 billion on more than 12 million payments.
	My Department works closely with other Government Departments on this issue and has regular discussions with other Ministers.

Funeral Payments

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial support his Department provides to terminally-ill people without an estate, next of kin or life insurance to assist in making funeral arrangements.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	We do not provide any financial support to people who wish to make their own funeral arrangements.
	The social fund funeral payment scheme provides a contribution towards the costs of a simple, respectful low cost funeral. This payment is available to people who receive income-related benefits and tax credits (or the partners of such people) who take responsibility for the funeral of a close relative or close friend.

Headaches

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to reduce the number of working days lost due to headaches and migraines.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
	Most headaches are harmless and can be relieved with self-help measures and pharmacy painkillers. Only a few (around 5%) are a sign that something is seriously wrong. These more serious headaches are often accompanied by other warning signs.
	The key to reducing the number of working days lost to headaches and migraines is ensuring that patients are able to access help and support from a general practitioner, or migraine clinic, to effectively manage their condition.

Housing Benefit

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in housing benefit to individuals in  (a) Northumberland county and  (b) the UK in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information requested can be found in the following table. DWP only covers Great Britain, figures for which are supplied below. Spending in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure, nominal terms 
			  £ million 
			   Great Britain  Northumberland county 
			 2005-06 13,928 48 
			 2006-07 14,841 50 
			 2007-08 15,732 52 
			 2008-09 17,103 58 
			 2009-10 19,978 69 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest million.  2. Housing benefit expenditure tables can also be found at the following URL: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page= hbandctb_expenditure  Source: Local Authority Subsidy Returns.

Housing Benefit

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to support the direct payment of housing benefit to private landlords.

Steve Webb: We continue to support the principle that tenants in the private rented sector should be responsible for managing their rental payments. There are safeguards in place so that housing benefit can be paid to the landlord if the tenant is unable or unlikely to pay their rent. Benefit is also paid direct to the landlord if the tenant is in arrears by eight weeks' rent.
	From April 2011 we are widening local authority discretion to pay housing benefit direct to the landlord only if it would help the customer secure a new tenancy or remain in their current home at a reduced rent. We will work closely with local authorities to ensure this provision is used in very specific circumstances where landlords are reducing rents to a level that is affordable for customers.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local housing allowance claims where the claimant was  (a) in work and on non-passported benefits,  (b) not working and on non-passported benefit,  (c) in receipt of income-based jobseeker's allowance,  (d) in receipt of income-related jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance and  (e) in receipt of pension guarantee credit in each local authority area over the reference period for his Department's impact assessment on local housing allowance.

Steve Webb: holding answer 20 December 2010
	I apologise for the delay in replying.
	A copy of the information has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to exempt families with children from his proposed reduction in housing benefit for people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than one year.

Steve Webb: We are carefully considering the impact on benefit customers as we develop the detailed policy for introduction of this measure in the Welfare Reform Bill. People for whom jobseeker's allowance is not appropriate, including lone parent families with very young children aged less than five, will not be affected.

Housing Benefit

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) the UK are in receipt of housing benefit;
	(2)  how many people in  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) the UK are in receipt of housing benefit and have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for 12 months or more.

Steve Webb: Information is not available for those housing benefit recipients who also have JSA nor is the information available by constituency.
	The data we have are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients September 2010 
			   Total HB recipients 
			 Great Britain 4,797,460 
			 North-west 607,010 
			 Wirral local authority 29,930 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data are available monthly from November 2008 and September 2010 are the latest available. 4. Housing benefit caseload and average weekly amounts are available at local authority area level and these are published on the Department's website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp 5. At present geographic breakdowns are available at local authority or regional level, as data are provided by local authorities.

Housing Benefit: Expenditure

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in his Department's expenditure on housing benefit attributable to rent reductions in the 12 months following the implementation of his reforms to housing benefit.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information is not available.
	Housing benefit expenditure has risen from £11 billion in 2000-01 to an expected £21.5 billion in 2010-11 in cash terms.
	The package of measures announced in the June Budget and being introduced for the local housing allowance in 2011-12, including the removal of the £15 excess planned by the previous administration, will achieve savings of around £1 billion by 2015-16. The other changes to housing benefit announced in the June Budget are estimated to save a further £1.1 billion in 2015-16. Overall, this represents a reduction of 9% in the total 2015-16 expenditure on housing benefit.

Housing Benefit: Kilmarnock

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are  (a) not of working age,  (b) in work and  (c) not in work are in receipt of housing benefit in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information requested is not available at the constituency level.
	From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed housing benefit/council tax benefit data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics, as the information supplied is quality assured.
	Housing benefit caseload and average weekly amounts are available at local authority area level and these are published on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp
	At present geographic breakdowns are available only for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data: this will include parliamentary constituencies.

Housing Benefit: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claimants in  (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and  (b) Liverpool receive a weekly excess of £15 or less.

Steve Webb: The Department published a document on 'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12' on 23 July. Based on this analysis, in March 2010, around 6,320 housing benefit recipients on the local housing allowance in Liverpool local authority receive a weekly excess of £15 or lower and will be affected by the removal of the excess.
	This information is not available at constituency level.

Housing Benefit: Pensioners

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the number of pensioners whose income is likely to fall below the 60 per cent. median poverty line as a result of the  (a) proposed weekly cap on housing benefit and  (b) up-rating of housing benefit with reference to the consumer price index.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information is not available in the format requested.
	On 23 July, the Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance" to be introduced in 2011-12, which includes detailed analysis of the impacts of the June Budget measures. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit: Personnel

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of local authority staff employed to administer  (a) housing and  (b) council tax benefit.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 20,000 local authority staff work on housing benefit and council tax benefit. The processing of these benefits is largely combined and therefore we do not have an estimate of the number of staff working on each benefit.
	However, these individuals may have many other functions, depending on how local authorities choose to organise their staff. The Department holds no estimate of the proportion of time these workers spend administering these benefits. To develop one would be an enormous undertaking and incur disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: Poverty

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 3 November 2011,  Official Report, columns 820-1W, on housing benefit: poverty, if he will place in the Library a copy of the initial assessment of the effects on child poverty of his Department's planned changes to housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The initial assessment of the effects on child poverty of the housing benefit reforms showed that over the next three years there is no measurable impact of the emergency Budget HB reforms on relative child poverty rates.
	This analysis will be provided to the House of Commons Library but it should be noted that the impact of the housing benefit measures should not be considered in isolation of the wider package of measures that have been announced, in particular the extra money distributed to families with children through the tax credit system.

Housing Benefit: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in housing benefit to individuals in the St Albans district council area in each year from 1996-97 to 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  St Albans 
			   HB expenditure nominal terms (£ million) 
			 1996-97 13.9 
			 1997-98 13.6 
			 1998-99 13.1 
			 1999-2000 12.9 
			 2000-01 13.0 
			 2001-02 13.3 
			 2002-03 14.7 
			 2003-04 14.9 
			 2004-05 15.6 
			 2005-06 17.1 
			 2006-07 18.5 
			 2007-08 19.9 
			 2008-09 21.8 
			 2009-10 25.4 
			  Source: Local Authority Subsidy Returns 
		
	
	Housing benefit expenditure tables can be found at the following URL:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page= hbandctb_expenditure

Housing Benefit: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid on average in  (a) local housing allowance and  (b) housing benefit to recipients in each type of housing tenure in Sunderland Central constituency in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.
	At present geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data; this will include parliamentary constituencies.

Housing Benefit: Unemployed People

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of recipients of jobseeker's allowance receive housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	Information is collected on the number of claimants in receipt of a passported benefit, however this information has not yet been quality assured to National Statistics standard.
	From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed housing benefit and council tax benefit data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics.

Income Support: Mortgages

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of recipients of Support for Mortgage Interest who receive less in support than the amount of mortgage interest they pay as a result of the recent reduction in the interest rate at which payment is made; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	This information is not available because the Department does not collect management information on the actual interest rates that apply to support for mortgage interest customers' loans.

Industrial Health and Safety: EU Law

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to implement the recommendation in Lord Young's report on health and safety that the UK should take the lead in co-operating with other member states to ensure the EU health and safety rules for low risk businesses are not overly prescriptive, are proportionate and do not attempt to achieve the elimination of all risk.

Chris Grayling: The Government very much welcome Lord Young's recommendation in this area and I, with support from the Health and Safety Executive, will take it forward. The UK continues to be supportive of the opinion of the European Commission's High-Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens, which has proposed an exemption for 'very small firms undertaking certain low risk activities' from the requirement to possess a record of the risk assessment. The European Commission is undertaking an evaluation of the costs and benefits of this requirement, with which the UK will be closely involved.

Jobcentre Plus: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the running cost was of each Jobcentre Plus service in each Jobcentre in the London borough of  (a) Barnet,  (b) Islington,  (c) Bromley,  (d) Lewisham,  (e) Lambeth,  (f) Brent,  (g) Ealing,  (h) Hammersmith and Fulham and  (i) Hounslow in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking what the running cost was of each Jobcentre Plus service in each Jobcentre in the London Borough of (a) Barnet (b) Islington (c) Bromley (d) Lewisham (e) Lambeth (f) Brent (g) Ealing (h) Hammersmith and Fulham and (i) Hounslow in the last 12 months for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The running costs for the Jobcentre Plus staff based at the specified 27 sites for the year 2009/10 are listed in the table in Annex 1. These include both salary costs and associated discretionary spend. In the interests of transparency estimates of the costs for the Jobcentre Plus staff at these 27 sites for year to date 30th November 2010 have also been obtained, but has not been formally reported or subject to audit review.
	Jobcentre Plus is an agency of the Department for Work and Pensions and many costs are reported outside of Jobcentre Plus at the Department level. The totals in Annex 1 do not, therefore, include charges from DWP for elements such as estate costs, information technology services costs or other items handled at a Departmental level.
	
		
			  Annex 1: Running costs for selected Jobcentre Plus sites 
			  London borough  Jobcentre  Running cost (£) 1 April 2009 to  31 March 2010  Estimated cost (£) 1 April 2010 to  30 November 2010 
			 Barnet Barnet Hill 1,873,464 1,356,526 
			  Edgware 1,500,574 1,052,917 
			  Finchley 1,266,361 881,422 
			  Hendon 2,170,287 1,549,060 
			 
			 Islington Barnsbury 2,978,357 2,115,081 
			  Finsbury 2,729,964 1,892,733 
			  Highgate 2,934,098 2,175,196 
			 
			 Bromley Bromley 4,709,409 3,256,903 
			 
			 Lewisham Deptford 1,852,641 1,205,344 
			  Forest Hill 1,996,506 1,482,074 
			  Lewisham 3,886,285 2,764,628 
			 
			 Lambeth Brixton 2,992,166 1,958,180 
			  Clapham Common 1,946,450 1,586,575 
			  Kennington Park 2,079,642 1,278,888 
			  Stockwell 1,699,054 1,124,330 
			  Streatham 4,509,279 3,072,891 
			 
			 Brent Harlesden 2,078,702 1,426,468 
			  Kilburn 1,812,340 1,252,010 
			  Wembley 1,796,556 1,301,668 
			  Willesden 2,119,719 1,374,275 
			 
			 Ealing Acton 1,902,518 1,435,419 
			  Ealing 3,266,827 2,307,488 
			  Southall 2,026,719 1,481,080 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Fulham 1,892,106 1,321,170 
			  Hammersmith 1,607,528 1,141,961 
			  Shepherds Bush 1,555,067 1,008,040 
			 Hounslow Hounslow 3,432,933 2,448,901 
			  Source data: Oracle Financial Analyser (OFA)

Jobcentre Plus: Greater London

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost per square metre was of each of the Jobcentre premises in the London borough of  (a) Barnet,  (b) Islington,  (c) Bromley,  (d) Lewisham,  (e) Lambeth,  (f) Brent,  (g) Ealing,  (h) Hammersmith and Fulham and  (i) Hounslow in 2009-10.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the cost per square metre was of each of the Jobcentre premises in the London Borough of (a) Barnet (b) Islington (c) Bromley (d) Lewisham (e) Lambeth (f) Brent (g) Ealing (h) Hammersmith and Fulham and (i) Hounslow in 2009-10. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The facility unit cost which includes the service accommodation costs per square metre of the specified 27 sites for the year 2009/10 are listed below in the following table:
	
		
			  Cost per square metre 2009-10 
			   Cost per m( 2)  (£) 
			  (a) London  b orough of Barnet  
			 Barnet Hill 341.20 
			 Edgware 402.41 
			 Hendon 368.43 
			 Finchley 476.18 
			   
			  (b) London  b orough of Islington  
			 Highgate 340.08 
			 Barnsbury 403.73 
			 Finsbury 403.76 
			   
			  (c) London  b orough of Bromley  
			 Bromley 531.39 
			  (d) London  b orough of Lewisham  
			 Lewisham 406.18 
			 Forest Hill 337.15 
			 Deptford 352.52 
			   
			  (e) London  b orough of Lambeth  
			 Streatham 413.18 
			 Brixton 588.08 
			 Kennington Park 577.30 
			 Stockwell 584.66 
			 Clapham Common 484.44 
			   
			  (f) London  b orough of Brent  
			 Willesden (Neasden) 380.32 
			 Harlesden 354.85 
			 Kilburn 529.65 
			 Wembley 453.22 
			   
			  (g) London  b orough of Ealing  
			 Ealing 577.56 
			 Southall 400.97 
			 Acton 576.67 
			   
			  (h) London  b orough of Hammersmith and Fulham  
			 Hammersmith 490.15 
			 Fulham 357.98 
			 Shepherd's Bush 624.05 
			   
			  (i) London  b orough of Hounslow  
			 Hounslow 401.26 
			  Source: DWP Commercial Directorate Estates Charging Database

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made a recent assessment of the merits of reviewing the two-year national insurance assessment period in respect of contributions-based jobseeker's allowance; and whether he has made a recent assessment of the effects of that arrangement on mature graduate students who have taken a career break to study.

Chris Grayling: The contribution conditions for jobseeker's allowance were reviewed in 2010, resulting in the Social Security (Contribution Conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) Regulations 2010/2446, which came into effect on 1 November 2010.
	Those regulations broadly aligned the contribution conditions for jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance, strengthening the connection between recent employment and contributory benefits, and making the system fairer and simpler.
	A person who fails to meet the contribution conditions may be eligible for income-based jobseeker's allowance.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) each region in England were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many of these in each category were in receipt of housing benefit in the same period.

Steve Webb: The following table provides the number of people in (a) the UK, (b) each region of England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.
	The information on jobseeker's allowance claimants also in receipt of housing benefit is not available. Information is collected on the number of housing benefit claimants in receipt of a passporting benefit, which includes income-based jobseeker's allowance. However, the total number of jobseeker's allowance claimants receiving housing benefit is not available.
	
		
			  Government office region  Caseload 
			 North-east 80,900 
			 North-west 178,900 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 144,300 
			 East midlands 96,800 
			 West midlands 157,900 
			 East 108,600 
			 London 216,300 
			 South-east 131,700 
			 South-west 82,000 
			 Wales 71,200 
			 Scotland 135,600 
			   
			 United Kingdom 1,462,700 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. United Kingdom figures include Northern Ireland. 3. These figures are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp  Source:  NOMIS Claimant Count (Seasonally Adjusted), November 2010.

Life Expectancy

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the (i) life expectancy and (ii) healthy and disability-free life expectancy of people in each social cohort.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	Data published by the Office for National Statistics constitute the Department's main source of information on life expectancy and on healthy and disability-free life expectancy. To help evaluate improvements in life expectancy of people in each social cohort, the Department has commissioned the Office for National Statistics to produce from its Longitudinal Study detailed life tables covering the periods from 1977-81 to 2002-05.
	These data will be published as part of the Government's full response to the review of state pension age. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

Members: Correspondence

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye of 30 September 2010, reference AR/TS/305.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
	A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 13 January 2011.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he made of the monetary value of support for mortgage interest payments made to claimants in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Average weekly payments of support for mortgage interest in Kilmarnock and Loudoun, February 2006 to February 2010 
			  £ 
			  February  Income support  Jobseeker's allowance  Pension credit 
			 2006 27.36 (1)- 14.81 
			 2007 30.01 (1)- 17.99 
			 2008 32.74 (1)- 17.81 
			 2009 35.68 (1)- 19.94 
			 2010 35.56 (1)- 16.90 
			 (1) Nil or negligible claimants receiving jobseeker's allowance, so average amounts not included for these customers.  Notes: 1. Average weekly amounts are shown as pounds per week and rounded to the nearest penny. 2. Figures have been up-rated using 5% proportions against 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) totals. 3. For jobseekers allowance mortgage interest can be claimed only on income-based jobseeker's allowance. 4. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged 60 or over). The vast majority of people who were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee transferred to pension credit in October 2003. 5. Monthly figures are not available therefore the last four quarters data have been provided.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% samples.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency received support for mortgage interest payments in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: I apologise for the delay in replying.
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of support for mortgage interest claimants in Kilmarnock and Loudoun, February 2006 to February 2010 
			  Number 
			  February  Income support  Jobseeker's allowance  Pension credit 
			 2006 (1)200 (2)- (1)400 
			 2007 (1)200 (2)- 500 
			 2008 (1)100 (2)- 500 
			 2009 (1)100 (2)- 500 
			 2010 (1)100 (2)- (1)400 
			 (1) Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide. (2 )Nil or negligible claimants receiving jobseeker's allowance.  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures have been up-rated using 5% proportions against 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) totals. 3. For jobseeker's allowance mortgage interest can be claimed only on income-based jobseeker's allowance. 4. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged 60 or over). The vast majority of people who were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee transferred to pension credit in October 2003. 5. Monthly figures are not available therefore the last four quarters data have been provided.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% samples.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 167-8W, on mortgages: Government assistance, what progress he has made on exploring the scope for mortgage lenders to freeze benefit claimants' mortgage accounts and apply a standard interest rate for a fixed period; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We are continuing to look at a number of options for support for mortgage interest, including assessing the scope for mortgage lenders to freeze benefit claimants' mortgage accounts. There are a number of possible solutions, and it will take time to reach a sensible conclusion on the long-term future design of support for homeowners.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2010,  Official Report, column 167W, on mortgages: Government assistance, when he expects to publish the results of the model to estimate the effects of changes to support for mortgage interest on the number of repossessions; and for what purposes his Department plans to utilise this model.

Steve Webb: The Department is in the process of developing a model to estimate the impact of changes to Support for Mortgage Interest on the number of repossessions. However, any estimates will always be limited since detailed case-by-case information, such as arrears at the start of a claim, is not collected by the Department. Furthermore, the relationship between arrears and continued home ownership is a complex one dependent on more than the level of Support for Mortgage Interest payable.
	The Department intends to use this model for internal policy development, appraisal and evaluation, but we will consider whether the results are robust enough to be used publicly, and the findings placed in the Library, once this work is complete, which we would expect to be in spring 2011.

Pensioners: Poverty

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners living in poverty in each year from 2011 to 2020.

Steve Webb: The Department does not publish projections on pensioner poverty and has not produced long-term trend estimates of pensioner poverty that take full account of current and announced policies.
	The Government have restored the earnings link for the basic state pension with a triple guarantee that the basic state pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, prices (as measured by the consumer prices index) or 2.5%. We estimate this will mean that the average person reaching state pension age in 2011 will receive an additional £15,000 in basic state pension over their retirement than they would have done under the old prices link.
	The Government are protecting key benefits for pensioners. Free eye tests; free prescription charges; free bus passes; free television licences for the over 75s; and winter fuel payments will remain exactly as budgeted for by the previous Government-as we promised. We have also made the temporary increase in the cold weather payment to £25 permanent.
	We want to ensure that older people receive the help that they are entitled to, and we are conducting a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to help to improve the take-up of pension credit.
	We will help prevent people from falling into poverty in later life by simplifying the rules and regulations relating to pensions to help reinvigorate occupational pensions. We will encourage companies to offer high-quality pensions to all employees and, from October 2012, all employers will be required to automatically enrol their eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme. We expect this to radically increase the number of people saving into a pension and lead to between 4 million and 8 million people newly saving or saving more in all forms of workplace pension schemes.
	All these changes will have a positive impact on pensioners' incomes.

Pensions

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in lifetime pension incomes of retired households in each income decile that will result from his Department's plans to accelerate the increase in the age at which  (a) people become entitled to guarantee credit and  (b) women become entitled to the basic state pension.

Steve Webb: The information required is not available in the form requested on a household basis.
	The impact assessment published as part of the White Paper 'A sustainable State Pension: when the State Pension age will increase to 66' included information on the proportionate change in lifetime pension income for hypothetical high, median and low earning individual men and women resulting from the increase in state pension age and pension credit qualifying age.

Poverty: EU Action

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department is making on the determination of  (a) targets and  (b) indicators to measure its contribution to the EU strategy against poverty.

Chris Grayling: As part of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable growth EU Heads agreed in June 2010 to a number of EU level targets, including "promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty, by aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion". The at risk population is defined as the number of persons who are at risk of poverty and exclusion according to three indicators:
	at risk of poverty, defined as those falling below 60% of national median income;
	material deprivation, defined as those missing four out of nine items from a specified list; or
	living in a jobless household, i.e., all adults in the household are working for less than 20% of available time.
	These headline indicators, as well as a number of subsidiary indicators, are published by Eurostat. Both the target and the indicators are EU-wide and progress will be aggregated across all 27 member states.
	In contributing to the EU ambition, member states are free to set their own national targets on the basis of the most appropriate indicators, taking account of their national circumstances and priorities. The UK contribution will be:
	The proportion of children living in workless households; and
	The Child Poverty Act Commitment to ending child poverty by 2020.

Poverty: EU Action

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent progress he has made on the implementation in the UK of the EU strategy against poverty.

Chris Grayling: There is no top-down EU strategy against poverty. Rather the UK has, along with all other member states, decided its own national strategy which will contribute to the overall EU 2020 poverty strategy. The UK has decided to target the proportion of children living in workless households in conjunction with achieving the aims of the Child Poverty Act, which requires that the child poverty rate is among the best in Europe by the year 2020.
	The Government are now considering the report on poverty and life chances by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) and will respond to the report in the Child Poverty Strategy. The report makes recommendations about measures that the Government will need to explore before deciding its preferred way forward, along with all the other issues that the strategy will cover. It did not suggest abandoning the 2020 targets and the Government's commitment to eradicating child poverty by 2020 has not diminished.
	The UK will be providing details of its strategy for contributing to the EU-wide target on poverty and social exclusion in the National Reform Programme which will be submitted to Commission in April 2011.

Remploy: Bonuses

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid in bonuses to the  (a) senior management and  (b) directors of Remploy in each year since 2008.

Maria Miller: holding answer 14 December 2010
	The available information on bonuses paid to Remploy senior management and directors is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Managers  Directors  Total (£) 
			 2007-08 1,656,501 110,600 1,767,101 
			 2008-09 589,000 72,000 661,000 
			 2009-10 1,315,000 51,000 1,366,000 
			  Note: Figures for 2008-09 and 2009-10 have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source: Remploy

Retirement: Age

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has in respect of changes to the age of retirement for those who started their working lives at the age of 14 years.

Steve Webb: The school leaving age was raised to 15 in 1947 and to 16 from September 1972. Therefore no one with a school leaving age of 14 is affected by either the current or proposed changes to state pension age.
	The changes we have announced, to bring forward the timing of the increase in state pension age to 66, will affect people born between April 1953 and April 1960. These changes are necessary to keep the state pension system sustainable and fair to each generation as average life expectancy increases.

Social Security Benefits

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which categories of households will be exempt from the household benefit cap to be implemented in 2013.

Steve Webb: The cap will only apply to working age households. There will be an exemption for war widows and households with a member entitled to disability living allowance or working tax credit.

Social Security Benefits

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that digitisation of the benefits system does not disadvantage older claimants.

Steve Webb: We are always seeking to improve accessibility of our communications and services which means that increasingly we make use of digital media. We recognise, however, that older people in particular make less use of the internet, so we will ensure that our plans do not introduce inequality and disadvantage, and cater for the needs of older people. We will continue to consult customers, and work closely with organisations which represent them, as we develop new services and processes to ensure that we continue to meet their needs.
	In addition, the Pensions Disability and Carers Service and Jobcentre Plus commitments to Race Online 2012 recognise that we need to support customers to help them take advantage of online services. Through projects like Get Digital, which seeks to help people in sheltered housing get online, and by working closely with key partner organisations like the BBC and Digital Unite to support their initiatives such as First Click and Silver Surfer's Day, we are helping to provide older people with the skills and access to IT that will enable them to use digital services if they wish.

State Retirement Pensions: Payments

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of the payment of pensions one week in arrears.

Steve Webb: State pension has been paid in arrears to people reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2010. Payments can be made four weekly, fortnightly or weekly. Payments to existing pensioners were unaffected. No estimate has been made of potential savings arising from this change. We expect that the change to payment in arrears will be cost-effective in the longer term because it makes it more likely that the Department can action any necessary changes before a payment is issued, thus reducing the number of overpayments and in particular reducing the distress which may be caused when overpayments are made following a death.

Travel to Interview

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce guidance to ensure that the travel costs of attending job interviews by those who are out of work and who were previously self-employed are met by potential employers.

Chris Grayling: For people receiving a qualifying benefit discretionary help with expenses for attending job interviews is available through the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS) administered by Jobcentre Plus (JCP). Payment under TIS in respect of these costs is subject to certain conditions including whether or not there is a reasonable prospect of employment and the prospective employer itself will reimburse the travel costs. Reimbursement by employers is a matter for them.

Universal Credit

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to include child tax credit and childcare tax credit within his proposed universal credit.

Chris Grayling: We announced in the White Paper 'Universal Credit: Welfare That Works' that we will include fixed amounts within universal credit to cover children's living costs, based on those currently provided through child tax credit. They will be additional to child benefit.
	As promised in the White Paper, we are working with key stakeholders to establish how support for child care costs could best be delivered as part of, or alongside, universal credit. We continue to work on this and will set out our conclusions in the coming months.

Universal Credit

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 137-8W, on universal credit, whether his calculation of the marginal reduction rate before full implementation of universal credit includes the 20 per cent. council tax benefit taper.

Chris Grayling: All analysis presented to date includes the 20% council tax benefit taper when calculating marginal deduction rates in the current tax and benefit system. It has also been assumed for modelling purposes that council tax benefit is included within the universal credit and is subject to the single overall taper of 65% when calculating marginal deduction rates under universal credit.
	The Government's recent announcement that they would give local authorities more say on the administration of council tax benefit will have implications for universal credit. As stated in the recent White Paper 'Universal Credit: Welfare That Works', the Government will work closely with local government and the devolved Administrations to develop the details of the proposal and to ensure that this reform does not undermine the positive impact of universal credit on work incentives.

Welfare State: Reform

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department plans to publish the draft regulations for the proposed Welfare Reform Bill.

Chris Grayling: We will shortly introduce the Welfare Reform Bill. Additional information on the regulation making powers included in the Bill will be made available in the Delegated Powers Memorandum which will be published alongside the Welfare Reform Bill on introduction.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Childhood and Families Task Force

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many meetings of the Childhood and Families Taskforce have taken place; who attended each meeting; and what was discussed on each occasion;
	(2)  what work has been completed by the Childhood and Families Taskforce; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Clegg: The work of the Childhood and Families taskforce is ongoing. Any work completed by the taskforce will be announced by Government in the usual manner.
	It is longstanding Government practice not to disclose information relating to ministerial meetings, including the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees, as to do so would put at risk the public interest in the full and frank discussion of policy by Ministers.

Constituencies

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975 to lower the limit on the number of Government Ministers in line with his proposed reduction in the number of parliamentary constituencies.

Mark Harper: The Government have been clear that they recognise the principle that there is a link between the legislature and the size of the executive; but this issue does not need to be resolved now, since the reduction in the size of the House of Commons would not take effect until 2015. The Government intend to reflect on the arguments made during the passage of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, and set out their plans once there is greater clarity on the composition of the second Chamber, including how many Ministers would be drawn from there. The Government remains committed to strengthening Parliament in relation to the Executive.

House of Commons: Reform

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for the political and constitutional reforms proposed in the coalition agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The political and constitutional reforms proposed in the coalition agreement are proceeding apace.
	The Government have introduced several of the Bills which were foreshadowed in the coalition agreement. This includes the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill and the Scotland Bill, which gives effect to proposals from the Calman Commission. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, to introduce a referendum on using the Alternative Vote for elections to this House, as well as fewer and more equal sized constituencies, has been passed by the House of Commons. We have introduced the Localism Bill which will devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities more control over housing and planning decisions, and the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which will among other matters introduce elected police commissioners.
	The Government have also implemented recommendations of the Committee on Reform of the House of Commons, including the establishment of a Backbench Business Committee and facilitating the election of chairs and members of Select Committees. Parliament has approved the regulations necessary for the referendum on further devolution in Wales, which will take place on 3 March 2011.
	This year the Government will set out their plans in more areas, including publishing legislation in draft on the recall of MPs, on speeding up the move to individual electoral registration, and on the reform of the House of Lords, and consulting on a statutory register of lobbyists.

House of Commons: Reform

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the effects on levels of public expenditure of implementation of his proposals to reduce the size of the House of Commons to 600.

Mark Harper: We estimate that the total cost of the next boundary reviews in each part of the UK will be £11.2 million. This includes the costs of staffing, accommodation, IT, printing, production of maps, advertising and publishing the final reports. Under the terms of the legislation presently in force, (Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986), and on the basis of the duration of the fifth general review in each part of the UK, we estimate that a general review would commence in any event within the next three years in England and in Scotland; and in the next five years in Wales and in Northern Ireland. The total cost of the fifth reviews in each part of the UK was £13.6 million.
	We estimate (subject to decisions made by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) that 50 fewer MPs would result in a saving of £12.2 million annually, made up of reduced salary costs of £4.1 million and £8.1 million in reduced expenditure on MPs' expenses.

House of Lords: Reform

Grahame Morris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made on developing proposals for a wholly or mainly elected second chamber.

Mark Harper: The cross-party Committee, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, is considering proposals for a wholly or mainly elected second chamber. We will publish a draft Bill early this year. The Bill will then be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by, we hope, a joint committee of both Houses.

Mental Health Act 1983

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review the operation of section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the operation of section 141 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and hope to make an announcement shortly.

Parliament: Reform

Grahame Morris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the potential saving to the public purse of his plans to reduce the size of the House of Commons; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing the size of the House of Lords.

Mark Harper: We estimate (subject to decisions made by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) that 50 fewer MPs would result in a saving of £12.2 million annually, made up of reduced salary costs of £4.1 million and £8.1 million in reduced expenditure on MPs' expenses.
	The cross-party Committee on House of Lords reform, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, is considering the size of a reformed second chamber and other issues which will determine the overall cost. The Government will publish an estimate of the costs alongside a draft Bill early this year.

Urban Areas

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the result of the city status competition will be announced.

Mark Harper: The result of the competition for a grant of city status to mark HM the Queen's diamond jubilee will be announced in the early months of jubilee year, 2012.

Voting Rights: Offenders

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to give judges discretion to determine at the point of sentencing whether offenders sentenced to a custodial term have the right to vote while in custody; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: As I announced by written ministerial statement on 20 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 150-151WS, the Government intend to implement the Hirst judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in a way that meets our legal obligations, but does not go further than that.
	The Government's proposed legislation will provide that offenders sentenced to a custodial sentence of four years or more will lose the right to vote in all circumstances, reflecting the seriousness of the offence that resulted in their imprisonment.
	Additionally, the sentencing judge will be able to remove the right to vote from offenders sentenced to a custodial sentence of less than four years if they consider that appropriate. We are considering what criteria judges should apply when exercising their discretion in such cases.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

China: Overseas Aid

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects his Department's bilateral aid programmes in China to end.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's bilateral aid programmes in China will end in March 2011.

Civil Society Challenge Fund

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2010,  Official Report, column 209W, on the Civil Society Challenge Fund, which trade unions received funding from the Fund in 2009-10; and how much funding each such union received.

Stephen O'Brien: Details of funding to trade unions through the Civil Society Challenge Fund for 2009-10 are available in the Library of the House.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is reviewing all of its aid programmes, including aid channelled through trade unions, to ensure that it makes a real difference to the world's poorest people.

Developing Countries: Children

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to increase the priority given to programmes relating to children within his Department's work; and if he will appoint an individual to champion children within his Department.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government recognise the importance of focusing on the rights of women, children and disabled people to access services for achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs). The Department for International Development's (DFID) Business Plan 2011-15 prioritises support for the MDGs and includes specific objectives to increase access to education and reduce infant mortality. However, all of the MDGs have an impact on children. There are no current plans to appoint an individual to champion children within DFID as considerations for the rights and issues surrounding child poverty are already addressed in all aspects of the Department's work.
	DFID is currently reviewing its aid programmes to ensure we continue to fund the most effective means of achieving the MDGs. The review will conclude in February 2011.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to encourage multilateral development banks to provide further support for investment and lending for the purpose of mitigating climate change.

Andrew Mitchell: We will continue to use our Board position to encourage the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to increase their lending in areas important for climate change, such as renewable energy and forestry. We also regularly engage at a technical level with the MDBs to support the development of their climate and energy strategies.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of climate change on agriculture and food security in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has supported a number of recent studies which have helped to define the likely impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in developing countries. In 2010, a DFID-supported assessment by the World Bank found that climate change would significantly affect crops yields, especially irrigated and rain-fed cereals, and that south Asia would see the greatest fall in production.
	DFID is supporting a major new programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security implemented by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. By 2020, the research aims to help reduce poverty and malnutrition in target areas, while enabling farmers in developing countries to contribute to climate change mitigation by enhancing carbon storage or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
	DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have co-sponsored research by the UK Government Office for Science Foresight programme on the Future of Global Food and Farming. This research has including modelling of the impact of major climate shocks on global food supply and food prices. The final report will be published on the 25 January 2011.

Developing Countries: Food

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the operation of commodity index funds on food supply in the developing world.

Stephen O'Brien: Commodity index funds have become popular vehicles for speculation and investment in commodity markets in recent years. It is difficult to be definitive about the role of speculation in agricultural price spikes. Food supply and prices in developing countries are affected by a number of factors including global energy prices, global stock levels, the size of harvests, changes in exchange rates and national agricultural trade and marketing policies. On balance we are sceptical about the degree to which speculation played a significant causal role in 2007-08. The Government continue to monitor relevant research in this area with interest.

Nigeria: Education

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has held with the Nigerian Government on UK support for the Nigerian education sector; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has regular discussions with Nigeria's Federal and State Governments on support for the education sector. Our approach to education is to strengthen the management of the sector as a whole, together with activities targeted directly at schools and students. As I saw for myself on my recent visit DFID has contributed to a number of gains in education in Nigeria including improving access to nearly 800 schools to help increase the number of girls in school; helping nearly 2,000 women from rural areas of northern Nigeria to undertake teacher training; and providing training to improve the management of 2,000 schools.

Overseas Aid

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides funding to diaspora organisations based in the UK.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 10 January 2010,  Official Report, column 62W, on Overseas Aid.

Overseas Aid

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what budgetary agreements have been made in respect of funding for his Department's programmes in Ghana in advance of the publication of the bilateral spending review;
	(2)  what budgetary guidance on  (a) existing and  (b) future spending programmes has been issued to his Department's office in Ghana since his appointment;
	(3)  what budgetary agreements have been made in respect of funding for his Department's programmes in Malawi in advance of the publication of the bilateral spending review;
	(4)  what budgetary guidance on  (a) existing and  (b) future spending programmes has been issued to his Department's office in Malawi since his appointment;
	(5)  what budgetary guidance on  (a) existing and  (b) future spending programmes has been issued to his Department's office in Tanzania since his appointment;
	(6)  what budgetary agreements have been made in respect of funding for his Department's programmes in Tanzania in advance of the publication of the bilateral spending review;
	(7)  what budgetary agreements have been made in respect of funding for his Department's programmes in Zambia in advance of the publication of the bilateral spending review;
	(8)  what budgetary guidance on  (a) existing and  (b) future spending programmes has been issued to his Department's office in Zambia since his appointment.

Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) on 16 December 2010,  Official Report, column 919W, which outlines the action I have taken.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to protect from violence aid agencies operating in southern Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: In southern Sudan relations between aid workers, communities and the authorities are generally very good. This is an important element of the UN Mission's (UNMIS) security and protection agenda. The UK lobbied hard to ensure that an agreement was reached between UNMIS and NGO staff on the evacuation of NGO staff in emergency situations.
	However, some abuses of aid workers by security forces are occurring. The UK is deeply concerned about any such abuses and I raised this issue with President Salva Kiir during my visit to southern Sudan in November 2010. UK Government officials in southern Sudan have also raised this issue with senior Government of southern Sudan Ministers on a regular basis. The UK will continue to keep this issue under review including through consultation with NGOs, UNMIS and the Government.

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has provided in development aid to Tanzania in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such aid was funded  (a) centrally and  (b) for specific projects.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID), through its country programme in Tanzania, has provided the following amounts in development aid to Tanzania over the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Aid given centrally as budget support (£000)  Proportion of programme given as budget support (%)  Project support (£000)  Proportion of programme given as project support (%)  Total programme (£000) 
			 2010-11 103,500 69 46,500 31 150,000 
			 2009-10 103,500 74 36,500 26 140,000 
			 2008-09 105,500 80 24,500 20 130,000 
			 2007-08 105,500 88 14,500 12 120,000 
			 2006-07 90,000 82 20,000 18 110,000

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has provided in development aid to Tanzania for  (a) democracy building,  (b) training police and  (c) strengthening the judiciary in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID), through its country programme in Tanzania, has provided the following amount in development aid to Tanzania in these areas over the last five years.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Financial year  (a) Democracy building( 1)  (b) Training police  (c) Strengthening the judiciary 
			 2010-11 2,000 200 0 
			 2009-10 4,000 0 0 
			 2008-09 5,400 0 0 
			 2007-08 200 0 0 
			 2006-07 0 0 0 
			 (1 )Including support to Tanzania's 2010 general election.

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to review the level of UK aid to Tanzania.

Alan Duncan: In June 2010 the Secretary of State for International Development announced a Bilateral Aid Review of all the Department for International Development's country programmes. The aid programme to Tanzania is included in that review, which will conclude in February 2011.

CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average annual wage was in  (a) South Shields constituency,  (b) Colchester constituency and  (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average annual wage was in (a) South Shields constituency, (b) Colchester constituency and (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available. (34370)
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Annual levels of earnings are estimated from the ASHE, and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, who have been in the same job for more than a year.
	I attach a table showing the median gross annual earnings in 2010 for full-time employees in South Shields constituency, Colchester constituency and England.
	
		
			  Median gross annual earnings for full-time employee jobs( 1) : 2010 
			   Median (£) 
			 South Shields constituency **19,100 
			 Colchester constituency *24,400 
			 England 26,300 
			 (1) Full-time employees on adult rates of pay who have been in the same job for more than a year. As at April 2010.  Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the average to be within the range 180 to 220.  Key: CV <= 5% * CV > 5% and <=10% ** CV > 10% and <=20%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics.

Big Society Bank

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to publish details of his Department's plans for the proposed Big Society Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 12 January 2011
	Government have stated their commitment to have some functions of the Big Society Bank established by April 2011, and expects it to start making investments from summer 2011 when dormant accounts are expected to be released. We will be announcing more details on the establishment of the bank in the new year.

Business: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses were created in  (a) Warwick and Leamington constituency,  (b) Warwickshire and  (c) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new businesses were created in (a) Warwick and Leamington constituency, (b) Warwickshire and (c) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available, which show enterprise births for Warwick and Leamington Constituency, Warwickshire County and the West Midlands from 2005 to 2009.
	
		
			  Enterprise births for Warwick and Leamington constituency, Warwickshire county and the west midlands ,  2005-09 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Warwick and Leamington 800 705 785 715 555 
			 Warwickshire 3,005 2,610 2,900 2,690 2,195 
			 West midlands 23,115 21,025 22,805 20,585 18,245

Census

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the 2011 Census captures accurate population data for areas with high levels of  (a) ethnic and cultural diversity and  (b) population change.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what steps are being taken to ensure that the 2011 Census captures accurate population data for areas with high levels of (a) ethnic and cultural diversity and (b) population change. (33175)
	The objective of the 2011 Census is to provide high quality, value for money population statistics as required by key users, on a consistent and comparable basis, for small areas and small population groups.
	In preparing for the 2011 Census, ONS recognised changes in society and technology that have taken place in the last 10 years (including increasing numbers of migrants, students, an ageing population, changing work patterns and complex living patterns). ONS has also addressed the key lessons learned from 2001, and the small number of localised concerns about 2001 Census population estimates.
	 New questions
	Extensive research and testing has been undertaken in the development of new questions for the 2011 Census which reflect user demand for information about changes in society. There are six new questions including details of any second address which will demonstrate where people actually spend their time and use public services. This will improve the population counts in those local authority areas that have a high proportion of people who live in the area during the week for work, but who return to another residential address at weekends. Additional questions about national identity, intention of migrants to stay and citizenship will support a more detailed understanding of migration and population change.
	 Online completion
	In 2011 there is an option to complete a questionnaire online for the first time, quickly and securely. This may particularly appeal to some harder to count groups such as young adults, students and the visually impaired.
	 Resources targeted towards harder to count areas
	ONS is recruiting 35,000 field staff for the field operation. A high proportion of field staff has been allocated to those areas that evidence shows are harder to enumerate, particularly inner city areas, and areas of high migration and population change. During the field operation, all questionnaire returns will be tracked and, where levels of response are low, additional field staff will be deployed to provide help on the doorstep and to collect the outstanding questionnaires. The amount of resource directed towards collecting outstanding questionnaires is three times greater than that in 2001 overall and four times greater in London and some other urban areas.
	 Recruitment of field staff
	Recruitment of the field force has been outsourced to Capita, an organisation with expertise and experience of large scale recruitment. Good progress is being made, with high numbers and quality of applicants. We are working with local authorities and community groups to encourage applications for census jobs from ethnic minority populations or from candidates with specific language skills and with local knowledge of the areas in which they will work. We are looking to make full use of their language skills and the support they can provide for local communities groups. We specify that additional languages are desirable for all posts, and information about any staff with language skills will be provided to their field managers. This should enable them to manage their team on a local basis and move staff to any particular area where their language skills will be of most use. This approach worked well in the Census Rehearsal in 2009.
	 Community liaison
	ONS is placing more emphasis on community engagement for the 2011 Census than in any previous census. Local area managers are promoting the census in their areas and engaging directly with local groups. As part of ONS's local engagement activity, a number of community panels have been set up to help develop community engagement plans for each target population group. These plans will be used by all area managers and community advisors to engage more effectively with the black and minority ethnic populations and other diverse communities, such as short-term migrants. ONS appointed 41 community advisors (with language skills) in August 2010, 24 of whom are working in London, to encourage the involvement of black and minority ethnic population groups in the 2011 Census. Community advisors will support the area managers in liaising with community groups representative of the target population groups.
	 Assistance in place to help people complete their questionnaires
	ONS has set up a wide range of measures to help people during the 2011 Census. There is a telephone help centre and an online help website. By accessing these facilities, the public will be able to find out more information about the census, get answers to questions that they may have, or arrange for field staff to visit their homes to help them with their questionnaire or collect completed ones. Such assistance will be available in 56 different languages.
	We are also working with a wide range of bodies including local authorities, community groups and charities to see how they can help us engage with those people who may need more help to complete their questionnaires, and to try and arrange events to help people complete their questionnaires. Such events are designed to compliment the different assistance already on offer to those people within communities who have difficulty in completing their census questionnaires. Such difficulties may arise because of disability, literacy or language issues. It is envisaged that such events will be run by volunteers trained to assist with the completion of questionnaires and to answer questions on the 2011 Census in general. Guidance on running such events, as well as training, has been prepared by ONS.
	 Publicity and community media
	ONS is increasing publicity and communication with a wide range of stakeholders and the general public. ONS plans to use different methods depending on the audience needing to be targeted. There will be a national advertising campaign including TV, press, radio, and online advertising as well as billboards, and transport advertising (such as tube, bus etc). Publicity will also be tailored to reach many target population groups such as black and minority ethnic groups and young people. As London has a large concentration of these groups it will benefit, in particular, from this approach.
	The publicity campaign will focus on the importance of the census in identifying the needs of different communities so that local and national government, and other service providers, can deliver what the community needs. The campaign puts this principle at the very centre of all communication and marketing.

Community Organisers

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account will be taken of individuals' previous experience of charitable and community work in the recruitment of Community Organisers to work as part of the Big Society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The overarching criteria for recruitment will be developed by the National Partner once appointed in partnership with the Cabinet Office.

Employment

Angela Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West,  (d) the South East and  (e) the UK are (i) employed in the (A) public sector and (B) private sector and (ii) unemployed.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral Borough Council area, (c) the North West, (d) the South East and (e) the UK are (i) employed in (A) the public sector, (B) the private sector and (ii) unemployed. (033864)
	Public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of the working population employed in the private and public sector in (a) Wallasey, (b) the Wirral, (c) the North West, (d) the South East and (e) the UK. Data has been provided for the most recent APS period, July 2009 to June 2010.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Table 2 shows the number and proportions of persons resident in (a) Wallasey, (b) the Wirral, (c) the North West, (d) the South East and (e) the UK claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for November 2010, the most recent period for which figures are available. JSA proportions are calculated using resident population aged 16-64.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Levels and proportions of the working population of UK, North West, Wirral unitary authority, Wallasey parliamentary constituency and the South East employed in (i) public and (ii) private sector 
			   July 2009 to June 2010 
			   Level (thousand)  Proportion (percentage) 
			   Public  Private  Public  Private 
			 UK *7,189 *21,391 25 75 
			 North-west *806 *2,255 26 74 
			 Wirral **40 **88 31 69 
			 Wallasey ***11 ***26 29 71 
			 South-east *918 *3,180 22 78 
			  Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≤ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV ≥ Coefficient of Variation  Source: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of persons claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in UK, North West, Wirral unitary authority, Wallasey parliamentary constituency and the South East 
			   November 2010 
			   Level  Proportion (percentage) 
			 UK 1,407,975 3.5 
			 North-west 172,855 3.9 
			 Wirral 8,125 4.3 
			 Wallasey 2,740 4.9 
			 South-east 126,770 2.3 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Environment Protection: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the environmental sector in  (a) Warwickshire and  (b) the West Midlands on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the environmental sector in a) Warwickshire and b) the West Midlands on the latest date for which figures are available (33965).
	ONS does not currently publish estimates for the number of people employed in the environmental sector.

Environment Protection: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses were created in the environmental sector in  (a) Warwickshire and  (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many businesses were created in the environmental sector in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.
	ONS does not produce statistics on the number of businesses in the environmental sector. Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk

Government Departments: Shared Services

Simon Kirby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has plans to encourage Government Departments to co-locate and share services to reduce their costs; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Increased sharing of services across Departments presents an opportunity for significant savings and improvements in service quality. The Government's Efficiency and Reform Group is working with Departments to accelerate their use of shared services for back office services, such as finance, HR and procurement so that significant economies of scale can be delivered.
	Furthermore, the Government announced in the 2010 spending review that as a first step to introducing a more co-ordinated approach to property asset management in the public sector it would set up Property Vehicles for the Central London and Bristol office estate from 2011-12. The Government will announce further details in due course.

Manufacturing Industries: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses in the manufacturing sector were created in  (a) Warwickshire and  (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many businesses in the manufacturing sector were created in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available, which show enterprise births in the Manufacturing sector for Warwickshire County and the West Midlands from 2005 to 2009.
	
		
			  Enterprise births in Warwickshire county and the West Midlands for the manufacturing sector 2005-09 
			   Warwickshire  West Midlands 
			 2005 1,260 155 
			 2006 1,135 150 
			 2007 1,300 155 
			 2008 1,090 130 
			 2009 1,035 110

Public Sector: Procurement

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make an assessment of the merits of authorising suppliers on the Office of Government Commerce framework on a regional basis for the purpose of assisting small and medium-sized enterprises to tender for Government and local authority business in their regions.

Francis Maude: From March 2011 small businesses will be able to search for public sector procurement opportunities on the new 'Contracts Finder' facility. Not only will suppliers be able to set search parameters to enable them to search for regional and local opportunities but they will also get free e-mail alerts based on these preferences.
	There are a number of buying organisations in the United Kingdom which purchase on behalf of contracting authorities and Buying Solutions, part of the Efficiency and Reform Group in Cabinet Office, is one of these. Regional supply is often a consideration in Buying Solutions frameworks. Examples include regional lots for NHS building and engineering maintenance and regional pricing for provision of administration and clerical staff. All suppliers on Buying Solutions frameworks can subcontract to regional SMEs if required.

Public Sector: Procurement

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps to  (a) simplify and  (b) standardise the pre-qualification procedure for small businesses wishing to tender for public contracts he is considering; and when he expects to announce the outcome of his consideration.

Francis Maude: We issued a simplified, standardised pre-qualification questionnaire last autumn, which since 1 December has been mandated to central Government Departments including their agents and agencies and all non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). Further we are investigating ways in which suppliers can be enabled to tell us their pre-qualification data once. Announcements will be made on this work in due course.

Public Sector: Procurement

Marcus Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to apply for Government contracts.

Francis Maude: I made a number of announcements on opening up public procurement for SMEs at the Small Business Summit on 1 November 2010. We are progressing those proposals as quickly as possible and we will be making announcements on further measures over the next few months.

Social Housing: Income

Russell Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the median household income was of a family in  (a) the social rented sector,  (b) the private rented sector and (c) owner-occupied accommodation in (i) the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area and (ii) Dumfries and Galloway constituency (A) before and (B) after housing costs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	We use Households Below Average Income data to provide estimates of median incomes. However, the sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates for low-level geographies such as those requested.
	The following table shows the median equivalised disposable household income by tenure for Scotland, before and after housing costs.
	
		
			  Median equivalised disposable household income, for families, by tenure for Scotland, three year average 2006-07 to 2008-09, before and after housing costs 
			   Median equivalised disposable household income for families 
			  Tenure type  BHC  AHC 
			 Owners 467 424 
			 Social Renters 291 235 
			 Private Renters 346 253 
			  Notes 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). These use disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for HBAI figures is single financial years. For countries and regions within the UK, three survey years have been combined as single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. Incomes are presented in 2008-09 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling. 5. Families are defined as a single adult or couple living as married and any dependent children, including same sex couples (civil partnerships and cohabitees) from January 2006. A household is made up of one of more families and is defined as a single person or group of people living at the same address as their only or main residence, who either share one meal a day together or share the living accommodation (i.e. a living room). In line with the wording of the question, analysis has been carried out at the family level.  Source: Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 2006/07 to 2008/09

Social Services: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many social enterprises were created in the adult social care sector in  (a) Warwickshire and  (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many social enterprises were created in the adult social care sector in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2005.
	ONS does not produce statistics on the number of social enterprises. Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births, deaths and survivals are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk

Unemployment

Amber Rudd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number and proportion of workless households in  (a) Hastings,  (b) Hastings and Rye constituency,  (c) East Sussex and  (d) England.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number and proportion of workless households in (a) Hastings, (b) Hastings and Rye constituency, (c) East Sussex, and (d) England (33699).
	The figures in the table attached are from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. The latest data currently available is for 2009. The table shows estimates for England and East Sussex. Due to the specific nature of your request it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for Hastings and Rye constituency and Hastings unitary authority area because of small sample sizes.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of workless households( 1)  in East Sussex and England 
			Estimate  Lower bound( 2)  Upper bound( 2) 
			  Thousand 
			 January to December 2009 East Sussex 21 16 26 
			  England 3,085 3,035 3,136 
			  
			  Percentage 
			 January to December 2009 East Sussex 13.9 11.0 16.8 
			  England 18.1 17.8 18.4 
			 (1) Households containing at least one person aged 16 to 64, where all individuals aged 16 or over are not in employment.  (2) 95% confidence interval.   Source:  APS household dataset.

Unemployment: Richmond upon Thames

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of workless households in Richmond Park constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of workless households in Richmond Park constituency (32967).
	The requested information is not available. Due to the specific detail of the request, it is not possible to provide estimates for the Richmond Park constituency because of insufficient sample sizes.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to answer Question 27396, tabled on 24 November 2010, on small and medium-sized enterprises and the OGC framework.

Francis Maude: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today.

HEALTH

Arthritis: Health Services

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the number of rheumatology specialist nurses in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The NHS Information Centre Workforce Census records numbers of nurses working in some specialties. However, it does not record numbers of nurses working at rheumatology specialty level.
	It is for local national health service organisations to recruit and train the staff best placed to serve their local population.
	The expectation that the number of rheumatology specialist nurses is increasing is based on the rounded care model for rheumatoid arthritis which is built around a multi-disciplinary team approach. Multi-disciplinary teams within rheumatology services see some of the functions traditionally carried out by consultant rheumatologists appropriately transferred to other members of the team, such as specialist nurses.
	National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 79 'Rheumatoid arthritis: The management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults' makes the multi-disciplinary team, including a specialist nurse, a key priority for implementation.

Blood: Contamination

Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the paper deposited in the Library consequent on the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 14 October 2010,  Official Report, column 567, on what dates since 14 October 2010 Ministers or officials in his Department have had discussions on blood product contamination with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland.

Anne Milton: There were exchanges of e-mail correspondence between departmental officials and officials in the Republic of Ireland regarding the HIV and Hepatitis C insurance scheme in the Republic of Ireland, on 26 and 27 October 2010, and 4 January 2011.
	Now that the review is complete, departmental officials intend to make further contact with Irish officials to follow up points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Dr Lee) in the backbench debate on 14 October 2010 and the subsequent meeting of 2 December with the hon. Member for Bracknell, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Stephen Barclay) and my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie).

Blood: Contamination

Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 630W, on blood: contamination, how many patients in respect of whom freedom of information requests are outstanding because of patient confidentiality issues have been contacted by his Department to determine whether they wish to waive patient confidentiality in the interests of disclosure.

Anne Milton: There are currently no outstanding freedom of information requests on blood contamination. The Department has previously withheld five documents from the period 1975 to 1985 under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act.
	Two of these documents are curricula vitae. One is a list of names and curricula vitae. Two contain patient-identifiable information. As one of the patients concerned is dead, the Data Protection Act does not apply to one of the documents.
	The Department is currently considering how to release the information contained within these two documents.

Blood: Contamination

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to  (a) end the ban on homosexual and bisexual males donating blood,  (b) increase the opportunities for blood screening for those wishing to donate blood and  (c) fund a public education programme for homosexual and bisexual males for the purposes of raising awareness of opportunities for blood donation and screening;
	(2)  what the evidential basis is for prohibiting  (a) homosexual and bisexual males, ( b) male homosexual couples in long-life monogamous relationships,  (c) celibate homosexual and bisexual males,  (d) heterosexual males who have had homosexual relations at school,  (e) males who last had homosexual sex in the 1960s and  (f) males in the aforementioned categories who have had a blood test to show they are HIV negative from giving blood;
	(3)  when the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs will publish its review to determine whether the ban on homosexual and bisexual men donating blood should remain in place; and what the reasons are for the time taken to complete and publish the review;
	(4)  whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in  (a) New Zealand,  (b) Spain,  (c) Italy,  (d) Japan and  (e) Australia on their polices of allowing some homosexual and bisexual males to donate blood in certain circumstances;
	(5)  whether he has assessed the potential effects of his policy of banning homosexual and bisexual males from donating blood on the supply of donated blood available to the National Blood Service.

Anne Milton: The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is currently reviewing the evidence base for donor deferral in relation to sexual behaviours, including the exclusion of men who have ever had sex with men.
	SaBTO had initially expected to report by the end of 2010, but wished to wait for the results of an attitudinal study to current deferral policy, which only became available in late 2010.
	The Committee is considering a wide range of data and information, including sufficiency of blood supply. The review has also considered both international practice and the outcome of other reviews around the world. SaBTO have also been in discussion with International experts. In different countries, the epidemiological, social and other factors are unique and as a result, the outcome of each review may differ.
	SaBTO's report, summarising the work of the donor deferral group, and SaBTO's recommendations, once finalised, will be made public in due course. The report will include analysis of the evidence to support or refute a change in deferral criteria in relation to sexual history. The Department will consider SaBTO's recommendations once they have been made.

Blood: Contamination

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 33-35, on contaminated blood, what discussions he had with the Health Minister in  (a) Northern Ireland,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales prior to the statement.

Anne Milton: There was liaison between the departmental officials and their counterparts in each devolved Administration.
	Departmental officials shared copies of the report of the clinical expert group and the cost estimates of the options under consideration with officials in each of the devolved Administrations during the course of the review of the support available to individuals infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV by national health supplied blood transfusions or blood products and their dependants.
	There were no discussions with Health Ministers in the devolved Administrations prior to the Secretary of State's announcement on 10 January 2011.
	The devolved Administrations have not yet decided how they intend to proceed on this issue.

Blood: Contamination

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 33-35, on contaminated blood, how many people with haemophilia who have been infected with hepatitis C have  (a) received stage 1 relief payments and  (b) received stage 2 relief payments to date.

Anne Milton: As at 31 December 2010, 2,173 people with haemophilia, who have been infected with hepatitis C, have received an ex-gratia stage 1 payment from the Skipton Fund, of which 354 people with haemophilia received a stage 2 payment.

Blood: Contamination

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 33-35, on contaminated blood, what estimate he has made of the number of people with haemophilia who have been infected with hepatitis C and who have received stage 1 relief payments who will qualify for stage 2 relief  (a) in the next year,  (b) in the next four years and  (c) in the next 10 years.

Anne Milton: The measures announced in the Secretary of State's statement on 10 January 2011 apply to all patients who have been infected with hepatitis C by contaminated national health service supplied blood and blood products, not just haemophilia patients. We know of 4,675 people with haemophilia in the United Kingdom who were infected with hepatitis C by NHS-supplied blood products during the 1970s and 1980s. Published epidemiological estimates suggest that up to 28,043 other individuals might have been similarly infected with hepatitis C by whole blood transfusions in the UK.
	Estimates of those moving from Skipton Fund stage 1 payments to Skipton Fund stage 2 payments over the next 10 years were calculated in two parts. First, the number of individuals whose diagnosis progresses to allow them to receive stage 2 payments. Second, there may be people who already qualify for a stage 2 payment who have not yet claimed it, and who now come forward to make a claim because of the recent increase. These two parts are presented as follows.
	
		
			   Recipients from new diagnoses  Patients who already qualify but have not previously come forward to make a claim 
			 2011-12 64 20 
			 2012-13 64 10 
			 2013-14 64 5 
			 2014-15 64 5 
			 2015-16 15 0 
			 2016-17 15 0 
			 2017-18 15 0 
			 2018-19 15 0 
			 2019-20 5 0 
			 2020-21 5 0

Blood: Contamination

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 33-35, on contaminated blood, 
	(1)  if he will set out the criteria for additional discretionary payments to be made to people with haemophilia who have been infected with hepatitis C and are in serious financial need;
	(2)  what additional support will be available to those people with haemophilia who have been infected with hepatitis C who qualify for stage 1 relief payments and have other health problems.

Anne Milton: The Secretary of State's statement of 10 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 33-35, announced that any individual who has been infected with hepatitis C as a result of their treatment with contaminated national health service supplied blood or blood products, and who is experiencing serious financial hardship, will be eligible to apply for discretionary payments from a new trust which is being set up. This applies to both Skipton Fund stage 1 recipients and Skipton Fund stage 2 recipients. The schedule for these new discretionary payments will be developed by the new trust, once it has been established.
	The review report can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_123363

Care Quality Commission

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the future of the  (a) Care Quality Commission and  (b) General Dental Council; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent system regulator of health and adult social care services in England. The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" stated that the role of the CQC would be strengthened as an effective quality inspectorate across both health and social care.
	The General Dental Council is the regulator of individual dental care professionals in the United Kingdom, and is independent of the Department. The Department has no plans to change this.

Cataracts

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the eye care industry on treating cataract patients with high technology lenses.

Simon Burns: No such representations have been received.

Cataracts

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the average cost of hospital treatment for elderly patients with poor vision; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. While the Department does collect the average costs to national health service providers of eye treatments and procedures, they are not sufficiently detailed to show the costs of treating elderly patients with poor vision.

Cataracts

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish his proposals to give cataract patients and other health service users greater choice and control over their eye lens treatment; and whether he plans to allocate funding for the implementation of those proposals.

Simon Burns: As explained in the answers on 1 December 2010,  Official Report, column 890W, and 20 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1015W, we are currently consulting on proposals for giving patients and service users greater choice and control over their healthcare. The consultation closed on 14 January. We will publish our response along with further policy proposals in spring 2011. We are not planning to allocate funding for the implementation of the choice commitments.

Chronically Sick People

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of people aged 60 years and over who have been diagnosed with more than one long-term condition.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not collect data separately on the number of people who have been diagnosed with one or more long-term condition. Information from the General Lifestyle Survey (2008) suggests that 6.1 million people in England aged 60 years and over report themselves as having at least one long-term condition.
	 Source:
	General Lifestyle Survey, 2008

Dentistry

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from the British Dental Association on arrangements for dental practices to register with the Care Quality Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department has recently received correspondence from the chief executive of the British Dental Association (BDA) setting out their concerns over the registration process with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The BDA postcard campaign raised the following issues:
	1. duplication of CQC's functions with those of other bodies;
	2. registration fees; and
	3. registration deadline.
	My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe) met with BDA officials last year to discuss the arrangements for registration and a further meeting is scheduled in early February.

Dentists: Finance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average cost to dentists' practices of introduction of the HTM01-05 control regulations.

Simon Burns: The cost of introducing the essential quality requirements detailed in Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 01-05 should be minimal as they are very similar to the standards set in guidance on decontamination issued by the British Dental Association (BDA) with the support of the Department in 2003. For practices already compliant with the BDA guidance, the only capital costs incurred would be for the installation of an extra sink for rinsing of instruments.
	The recent Dental National Dental Decontamination Survey, which took place very soon after HTM 01-05 was published, demonstrated that 70% of practices in England were already compliant with these essential quality requirements, with approximately 20% very close to compliance. This demonstrates that for the majority of practices, compliance with the HTM 01-05 guidance has not been problematic.
	We have not yet set a date set by which dental practices should comply with the best practice requirements set in the HTM. We wish to find out more about the extent and cost of the improvements that would be required.

Flu: Vaccination

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of doses of flu vaccines available for use in NHS facilities in  (a) the London borough of Newham and  (b) London.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally. General practitioners (GPs) in England order seasonal flu vaccine direct from the manufacturers, according to their patients needs.
	About 14.5 million doses have been ordered from vaccine suppliers (both private and national health service) for the United Kingdom. Seasonal flu vaccine quantities each year are usually between 14 and 15 million doses.
	The Department is aware of some reports of seasonal flu vaccine supply issues in some areas. The NHS is working to ensure that any local vaccine shortages are managed effectively.
	The Department is working with the NHS at the local level to ensure available supplies of surplus vaccine are moved to where there is a need for them. The chief medical officer wrote to GPs in England on 6 January to confirm that they can use the H1N1 monovalent flu vaccine Pandemrix, which will help protect people most at risk against the H1N1 virus which is causing the most illness. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.
	There are potentially over 12 million doses of Pandemrix available to the NHS if needed.

Food Intolerances

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the most recent scientific advice he has received is on the effects on the health of  (a) children,  (b) the elderly and  (c) pregnant women of exposure to dioxins through the food chain.

Anne Milton: In 2007 the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment confirmed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for dioxins, which would protect humans including children, the elderly and pregnant women from all the toxic effects of these chemicals. In January 2011, the Food Standards Agency used this TDI as the basis for assessing the risks from food products arising from the use of liquid pasteurised egg made from eggs laid by hens exposed to contaminated animal feed from Germany.

Food Intolerances: Children

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what studies his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned in the last 10 years on food ingredients and their effect on children's behaviour; and whether he plans to (i) undertake and (ii) commission further such research;
	(2)  what research his Department has  (a) undertaken,  (b) commissioned and  (c) evaluated on the relationship between food intolerances and the behaviour of children in the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commissioned and funded two studies in 1997 and 2004 which focused on whether there is any association between consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food additives and hyperactive behaviour in children. The findings of both studies have been made available and were evaluated in 2007 along with other relevant information by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (the independent scientific committee that advises Government Departments and agencies on the toxicity of chemicals) as well as being discussed and reviewed by the FSA Board and Health Ministers.
	In addition, the FSA commissioned and funded a systematic review of the evidence on the effects of nutrition, diet and dietary change on children's learning, behaviour and school performance. A total of 29 trials were taken forward in the review, including studies examining the effect of breakfast, sugar intake, fish oil supplements, vitamin and mineral supplements and good nutrition. This review was unable to reach firm conclusions on the effect of diet on children's performance and behaviour. The findings of the review were made available on the FSA website and published in a peer reviewed journal in 2008.
	There are no plans to commission any further research.

Heart Diseases

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many planned admissions there were for heart surgery following acute myocardial infarction in  (a) each primary care trust and  (b) England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many finished consultant episodes there were following acute myocardial infarction in  (a) each primary care trust and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: A table showing the number of finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction by primary care trust of residence and England from 2005-06 to 2009-10 has been placed in the Library.
	Data are not collected for planned admissions for heart surgery following acute myocardial infarction.

Heart Diseases

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were offered cardiac rehabilitation following acute myocardial infarction in  (a) each primary care trust and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information about the number of patients who are offered cardiac rehabilitation following an acute myocardial infarction.
	However, there are data on cardiac rehabilitation available from the latest National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation's (NACR) report which can be found on the NACR's website at:
	www.cardiacrehabilitation.org.uk/nacr/docs/2010.pdf
	This includes information about the number of patients who have had cardiac rehabilitation following a myocardial infarction.

Heart Diseases

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the need for outcome measures in respect of readmission rates following acute myocardial infarction within the proposed NHS Outcomes framework.

Simon Burns: On 20 December, we published 'The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12/, which set out the outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivering better outcomes for patients. The document is available at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_123138.pdf
	A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	In determining the selection of the final indicators for the framework, the Department considered all suggestions and comments received through the public consultation, and analysed all potential indicators against a set of criteria. As part of this process, we have considered outcomes measures relating to readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Detailed explanations of the rationales for the selection of the outcomes and indicators are set out in chapter 2 of 'The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011/12' (pages 10-32).
	The outcomes and indicators have been chosen with a view to creating a balanced set of national outcome goals, which reflect the breadth of treatment activity for which the national health service is responsible. It will therefore, not be possible to include outcome indicators for all specific diseases and long-term conditions. Instead, where appropriate, indicators have been selected which seek to capture those outcomes that an individual with any condition would consider important.

HIV Infection

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the variation between local authority areas in respect of infection rates for HIV.

Anne Milton: In our White Paper 'Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England', published on 30 November 2010, we set out ambitions for the future of public health. Core features are the establishment of a new body, Public Health England, as part of the Department, and the return to local government of public health leadership and responsibility. A copy of the White Paper has already been placed in the Library.
	On 20 December 2010, we published the consultation document 'Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Transparency in Outcomes'. The document sets out how we will be shifting power to local communities, enabling them to improve health across people's lives, reduce inequalities and focus on the needs of the local population. We will make it easier for local areas to compare themselves with others across the country, and where possible how performance is changing within areas, and lever improvements. One of the proposed indicators is "Proportion of persons presenting with HIV at a late stage of infection". A copy of the consultation document has already been placed in the Library.

Hospital Beds

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent bed blocking in NHS facilities;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients who are in hospital because of difficulty in determining a discharge destination.

Paul Burstow: Information on delayed transfers of care has never been collected in the level of detail necessary to estimate how many are due to difficulty determining the discharge destination, because the essential business needs of the Department cannot justify the additional administrative burden on the bodies that would have to provide the data.
	It is the responsibility of the national health service and its local partners, including social service departments, to ensure that no patient remains in a hospital bed for longer than clinically necessary, and that any ongoing care and support can begin promptly and the individual is restored to independent living in the community as quickly as possible.
	This requires better working across the NHS and social care and so we have provided the funding and clear direction in the NHS Operating Framework for the NHS and local government to make this happen. In October, we announced £70 million for re-ablement in 2010-11. From April, this will rise to £150 million and after that, £300 million each year has been earmarked for re-ablement up to March 2015. The NHS Operating Framework 2011-12 requires the NHS to work with its social care partners in developing plans for investing in re-ablement services.
	In addition, we announced that following a successful efficiency drive, the Department is able to make an extra £162 million available to the NHS for transfer to social care to spend in this financial year on helping people to leave hospital more quickly, get settled back at home with the support they need, and to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.

Influenza: Vaccination

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons GPs were not required to contact carers to offer an influenza vaccination in the winter of 2010-11; and if he will encourage GPs to provide vaccinations at home.

Anne Milton: There has been no change to the approach and guidance in respect of seasonal influenza vaccination and carers this winter. The chief medical officer wrote to the national health service on 23 June setting out the arrangements for the 2010-11 influenza vaccination programme. This advice stated that seasonal influenza vaccine should be offered to those in receipt of a carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
	The place where the vaccination is administered is a matter to be determined locally. If patients or carers are unable to attend a surgery or clinic for vaccination, we would expect alternative arrangements, including home visits, to be undertaken.

Insulin: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage NHS healthcare trusts to provide funding and support for insulin pump therapy for children with diabetes.

Paul Burstow: The 2011-12 NHS operating framework highlights the provision of insulin pumps. It states that,
	"NHS commissioners and providers must do more to ensure insulin pumps are available for those people with diabetes that meet the criteria recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence".
	The NHS National Technology Adoption Centre has published guidance to support national health service organisations in the adoption of insulin pumps. In addition, Dr Rowan Hillson, the National Clinical Director for Diabetes is currently chairing a working group that focus on the uptake of insulin pumps.

Interim Cancer Drugs Fund

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that patients with rare cancers have equitable access to funding for their treatment through the Interim Cancer Drugs Fund.

Paul Burstow: Decisions on which cancer drugs are funded from the additional £50 million made available in this financial year are a matter for local clinically-led panels based on the advice of cancer specialists. We expect these decisions to be informed by the guidance issued by the Department to strategic health authorities in July 2010, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	We are currently consulting on our proposals for the Cancer Drugs Fund which will operate from April 2011. The consultation asks for views on what advice we can give the clinically-led panels on the specific challenge posed by rarity and whether guidance should be issued on prioritising the fund application process, for example to rarer cancers.
	The consultation document "The Cancer Drugs Fund: A Consultation" is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_120834
	and a copy has already been placed in the Library. The consultation is open until 19 January 2011.

Ipswich Hospital: Manpower

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses and  (b) auxiliary nurses were employed at Ipswich hospital in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table shows hospital figures of nurses at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust as at 30 September each year.
	
		
			  Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Number 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,327 1,270 1,319 1,275 1,740 
			 Nursing support staff (auxiliaries) 568 540 570 490 446 
			  Note s :  1. The number of qualified bank nurses reported by the trust has increased by 450 between 2008 and 2009.  2. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracies lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is a significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.   Source:  The NHS Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Lyme Disease

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department holds on the number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease in each region in each of the last three years; what his most recent estimate is of the incidence of Lyme disease in the South East; and what recent steps have been taken to prevent the spread of Lyme disease in that area.

Anne Milton: Data on confirmed cases of Lyme disease are not routinely available by region. Data on laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales for the last three years are provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) as follows:
	
		
			   Total reports received  Mean annual incidence per 100,000 population 
			 2007 797 1.49 
			 2008 813 1.52 
			 2009 973 1.79 
		
	
	Specific analysis of provisional data for 2009 by the HPA indicates that for the south-east health region, the incidence of confirmed cases of Lyme disease was 4.85/100,000.
	Information for the public on prevention and control of Lyme disease is published on the Health Protection Agency's website and is also available for travellers on the National Travel Health Network and Centre.

Medical Schools

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the required national curriculum for medical schools relates to geriatric care.

Anne Milton: There is no required national curriculum for medical schools. Each medical school is responsible for developing its own curriculum. The General Medical Council (GMC) has statutory responsibility to determine the extent and knowledge and skill required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the United Kingdom. It is the responsibility of the medical schools to ensure that their detailed individual curricula meet the standards set by the GMC, which are set out in their document Tomorrow's Doctors. This is available at:
	www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.asp

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: Drugs

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what modification criteria are applied by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence when appraising drugs with potential patient numbers of less than 500.

Simon Burns: Following the referral of a topic to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), technology appraisal guidance is developed in accordance with NICE'S published process and methods guides.
	In 2009, NICE issued supplementary advice to its Appraisal Committees to clarify the circumstances in which it might be appropriate to recommend potentially life-extending treatments licensed for terminal illnesses affecting small numbers of patients, as long as other criteria are also met.
	Further information on NICE'S methods of technology appraisal, including the supplementary advice issued in 2009, is available at:
	www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/howwework/devnicetech/technologyappraisalprocessguides/guidetothemeth odsoftechnologyappraisal.jsp

NHS Work Force Consultation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the forthcoming NHS workforce consultation will include the adaptation of that work force to the requirements of an ageing population.

Simon Burns: "Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare workforce", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, was published on 20 December 2010. It proposes that responsibility for planning and developing the work force is devolved to healthcare providers.
	Healthcare providers are best placed to determine the size and shape of their own work force to respond to the needs of their staff, patients and local communities.

NHS: Older People

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the cost incurred by the NHS in respect of the treatment in hospital of elderly patients as a result of falls in the home.

Paul Burstow: Hip fractures remain the most serious consequence of a fall and the Department's recent estimate indicate that around 76,000 hip fractures occur in the United Kingdom each year, and cost the national health service around £1.4 billion.
	Falls are not an inevitable consequence of old age; rather they are nearly always due to one or more underlying risk factors. Common risk factors include occurrence of a previous fall, gait and balance problems, muscle weakness, cognitive impairment, for example from dementia or delirium, multiple medications (notably sedatives), visual impairment, fainting and acute medical illness.
	The Government have not made a recent estimate of costs to the NHS in respect of the treatment in hospital of elderly patients resulting from falls in the home. The data that the Department collect on hospital admissions are based on diagnosis, as opposed to the cause of illness or accidents.

NHS: Recruitment

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the NHS of recruiting staff as a consequence of the implementation of the European Working Time Directive.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. It is for individual national health service trusts to ensure that their service rotas are designed and staffed appropriately.

NHS: Waiting Lists

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information  (a) primary care trusts,  (b) GPs and  (c) hospitals are required to provide to patients on their rights to access services within maximum waiting times; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what forms of redress NHS commissioners are able to offer to patients who are not treated within maximum waiting times; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: On 1 April 2010, the Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities (Waiting Times) Directions 2010 came into effect. These established the rights for a patient to start consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks from referral and be seen by a specialist within two weeks of general practitioner referral for suspected cancer, or where this is not possible, for the national health service to take all reasonable steps to offer the patient a quicker appointment at a range of alternative providers if the patient makes such a request.
	Guidance for commissioners and providers on fulfilling their legal and contractual obligations in relation to patients' rights to access services within maximum waiting times was published on 8 March 2010. This includes good practice on raising patient awareness of their maximum waiting times rights.
	Copies of the directions and guidance have been placed in the Library.

Patients: Transport

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has he made of the effectiveness of the service provided by Savoy Ventures Ltd under its contract for non-urgent patient transport at the South London Healthcare Trust; and whether this level of performance differs from that of the previous contractor.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the local national health service.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the number of people in England who  (a) currently use a pre-payment certificate and  (b) purchased a pre-payment certificate in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: Information is not collected on the number of people using a prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC). Information on the number of PPCs valid on 17 December 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  PPCs active( 1)  on 17 December 2010 (England)( 2) 
			  Certificate duration  Number 
			 3 months 166,386 
			 12 months 673,078 
			 Total 839,464 
			 (1) The PPC expiry date was on or after 17 December 2010. (2) PPCs can have a start date one month prior to or one month after the date the application is received by NHS HwHC . Therefore the number of active PPCs on 17 December may increase if backdated PPCs are issued.  Source: National Health Service Help with Health Costs (HwHC) PPC database 
		
	
	The number of PPCs issued or purchased since 2005-06 is as follows.
	
		
			  PPCs issued or purchased (England) 
			   Duration of certificates  
			  Financial year  3 month  4 month  12 month  Total 
			 2005-06 - 638,413 524,232 1,162,645 
			 2006-07 - 650,782 520,449 1,171,231 
			 2007-08 474,570 176,503 593,507 1,244,580 
			 2008-09 730,592 - 652,870 1,383,462 
			 2009-10 714,594 - 662,588 1,377,182 
			 2010-11(1) 485,195 - 454,134 939,329 
			 (1) 2010-11covers 1 April to 17 December 2010.  Source: NHS Help with Health Costs (HwHC) PPC database

Primary Care Trusts: Prisoners

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal of 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1288W, on primary care trusts: prisoners, 
	(1)  how much was paid to GPs for drug treatment in Ranby prison in each of the last three years;
	(2)  for what reason no figures were reported at Ranby prison in the last three years.

Paul Burstow: Information on payments to general practitioners (GPs) for providing prison health care services is not collected by the Department. Since 2006, primary care trusts (PCTs) have commissioned health services in publicly run prisons in England and available information about payments made to GPs for drug services in Ranby prison is held by Bassetlaw PCT.
	In common with many other trainer prisons, Ranby prison did not disclose, any data to the National Offender Management Service about the number of prisoners receiving drug treatment in this prison in any of the last three financial years, thus this data is not collected by the Department in respect of Ranby prison.
	The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse collects data on the number of individual prisoners at Ranby prison who commenced drug treatment in 2008-09 and 2009-10 only and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Ranby prison: number of individuals commencing drug treatment and clinical performance in 2008-09 and 2009-10 
			   No. of new receptions (No. of initial health care screens)  No. entering drug treatment  % of new receptions entering drug treatment( 1)  No. of initial health care screens that result in clinical substance misuse assessment  No. receiving first night prescribing  No. of opioid stabilisations commenced  No. of opioid detoxifications commenced  No. of opioid maintenance prescriptions commenced 
			 2008-09 2,111 472 22 238 10 0 0 16 
			 2009-10 1,960 559 29 100 23 12 2 35 
			 (1) Data for numbers entering drug treatment may include alcohol clients and is the CARATS (Counselling, Assessment, Referral and Throughcare Services) caseload number of clients requiring non-clinical, lower level interventions.  Source: National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse-Performance Data

Thame Community Hospital

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department has provided for the re-development of Thame Community Hospital; and what recent assessment he has made of the delivery of that project.

Simon Burns: The Thame Community Hospital redevelopment is one of 28 schemes approved under the community hospital programme.
	The primary care trust (PCT) schedule for the Thame scheme had previously indicated a requirement for funding of £4 million over the 2010-11 and 2011-12 financial years, and the Department had provisionally allocated £2.28 million for 2010-11. As a result of revisions made to the project timetable by the PCT, in the light of changing local priorities, the project no longer requires any financial support from the Department in the 2010-11 financial year. Capital allocations for 2011-12 have yet to be finalised.
	With respect to an assessment of the delivery of the project, South Central Strategic Health Authority will assess this when they receive the outline business case later this year.

Tobacco: Retail Trade

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his timetable is for introducing the proposed ban on the display of tobacco products in retail outlets.

Anne Milton: The legislation ending displays of tobacco products is scheduled to commence for large shops on 1 October 2011 and for small shops on 1 October 2013.
	The Government are looking at options around the display of tobacco in shops, recognising the need to take action both to reduce tobacco consumption and to reduce burdens on businesses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arab States: Overseas Trade

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on promoting trade with Arab countries and formulating strategic government assistance to UK companies trying to export to the Arab world.

Alistair Burt: The Government are committed to building closer relationships with all our partners in the Gulf and the wider middle east and north Africa, and promoting more UK trade and investment with the region. I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on this.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are working closely with my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Green, and colleagues in UK Trade and Investment, in delivering advice and assistance to UK exporters in line with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Gulf and Commercial Diplomacy Initiatives.

Australia: Floods

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to assist Australia in respect of recent flooding in Queensland.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has spoken to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and offered UK assistance should it be required. Despite the scale of the floods, her advice was that they did not need international support at this stage.
	Officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in coordination with Whitehall Departments, are actively engaged with the Australian authorities on what assistance the UK may be able to provide.

Australia: Floods

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any requests for assistance from the Government of Australia in dealing with the recent serious floods in that country.

Jeremy Browne: I can confirm that I have received no request for assistance from the Government of Australia in dealing with the recent serious flooding in Queensland, but we continue to stay in close contact with them.

British Nationals Abroad: Homicide

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department plans to discuss the Support After Murder and Manslaughter Abroad draft Memorandum of Understanding with the  (a) Home Office and  (b) Ministry of Justice.

Jeremy Browne: Consular officials are discussing the proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the National Policing Improvement Agency, who are co-ordinating with the other possible parties-Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Coroners Society. We will discuss with the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, if appropriate, in due course.

China: EU External Trade

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the EU embargo on exports of arms and military technology to China.

Jeremy Browne: The Government's view is that the time is not right to lift the EU Arms Embargo on China.

Departmental Visits Abroad

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which foreign counties have not been visited by a Minister from his Department in the last three years.

Alistair Burt: The following table shows countries visited by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers where costs incurred exceeded £500 in the last three financial years: 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. We do not hold records of trips under £500 centrally, and obtaining this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	Between May and December 2010, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers visited the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Yemen, and the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
	Further details on Ministerial visits can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministers-overseas-travel
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Country 
			 Right hon. Margaret Beckett MP Belgium 
			 Secretary of State China 
			  Egypt 
			  Germany 
			  Japan 
			  Luxembourg 
			  USA 
			   
			 Right hon. David Miliband MP Afghanistan 
			 Secretary of State Bangladesh 
			  Belgium 
			  China 
			  Denmark 
			  Egypt 
			  Finland 
			  France 
			  Germany 
			  Iraq 
			  Israel 
			  Italy 
			  Jordan 
			  Kuwait 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Pakistan 
			  Palestine 
			  Portugal 
			  Romania 
			  Slovenia 
			  Spain 
			  Sweden 
			  Switzerland 
			  Turkey 
			  Uganda 
			  USA 
			   
			 Right hon. Geoff Hoon MP Belgium 
			 Minister of State Cyprus 
			  France 
			  Greece 
			  Slovenia 
			   
			 Jim Murphy MP Belgium 
			 Minister of State Bosnia 
			  France 
			  Germany 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Netherlands 
			  Slovenia 
			  Spain 
			  Turkey 
			   
			 Right hon. Ian McCartney MP Botswana 
			 Minister of State Germany 
			  South Africa 
			   
			 Right hon. Dr Kim Howells MP Afghanistan 
			 Minister of State Bahrain 
			  Barbados 
			  Brazil 
			  Canada 
			  Chile 
			  Colombia 
			  Egypt 
			  Ghana 
			  India 
			  Iraq 
			  Jamaica 
			  Jordan 
			  Lebanon 
			  Libya 
			  Nigeria 
			  Norway 
			  Oman 
			  Pakistan 
			  Peru 
			  Portugal 
			  Qatar 
			  Saudi Arabia 
			  Sri Lanka 
			  Turkey 
			  Uruguay 
			  USA 
			   
			 Right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown MP Afghanistan 
			 Minister of State China 
			  Egypt 
			  Ethiopia 
			  India 
			  Japan 
			  Kenya 
			  Mongolia 
			  Pakistan 
			  Sudan 
			  Switzerland 
			  Uganda 
			  USA 
			   
			 Lord Triesman Dominican Republic 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Panama 
			  Spain 
			   
			 Meg Munn MP Ascension 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Bermuda 
			  Cayman Islands 
			  Dominican Republic 
			  Falkland Islands 
			  Jamaica 
			  Mexico 
			  New Zealand 
			  Panama 
			  Singapore 
			  Thailand 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09 
			   Country 
			 Right hon. David Miliband Afghanistan 
			 Secretary of State Belgium 
			  Bosnia 
			  China 
			  Czech Republic 
			  Egypt 
			  Finland 
			  France 
			  Georgia 
			  Germany 
			  India 
			  Iraq 
			  Ireland 
			  Israel 
			  Japan 
			  Kosovo 
			  Kuwait 
			  Lebanon 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Norway 
			  Occupied Palestinian Territories 
			  Pakistan 
			  Romania 
			  Saudi Arabia 
			  Serbia 
			  Slovakia 
			  Slovenia 
			  South Africa 
			  Sudan 
			  Sweden 
			  Syria 
			  Turkey 
			  Ukraine 
			  United Arab Emirates 
			  USA 
			   
			 Right hon. Dr Kim Howells MP Algeria 
			 Minister of State Bolivia 
			  Brazil 
			  Germany 
			  Morocco 
			  Peru 
			  Qatar 
			  South Africa 
			  Yemen 
			   
			 Right hon. Jim Murphy MP Azerbaijan 
			 Minister of State Belgium 
			  Czech Republic 
			  France 
			  Georgia 
			  Germany 
			  Gibraltar 
			  Hungary 
			  Italy 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Poland 
			  Spain 
			  USA 
			   
			 Right hon. Caroline Flint MP Belgium 
			 Minister of State Bulgaria 
			  Croatia 
			  Cyprus 
			  Czech Republic 
			  France 
			  Germany 
			  Greece 
			  Ireland 
			  Macedonia 
			  Spain 
			  Turkey 
			  Ukraine 
			   
			 Right hon. Lord Malloch Brown Argentina 
			 Minister of State Bangladesh 
			  Brazil 
			  China 
			  Democratic Republic of Congo 
			  Egypt 
			  Ethiopia 
			  France 
			  Ghana 
			  India 
			  Japan 
			  Kenya 
			  Maldives 
			  Myanmar 
			  Nepal 
			  Netherlands 
			  Nigeria 
			  Norway 
			  Russia 
			  Rwanda 
			  Saudi Arabia 
			  Sierra Leone 
			  Singapore 
			  South Africa 
			  Sri Lanka 
			  Switzerland 
			  Thailand 
			  USA 
			  Zambia 
			   
			 Bill Rammell MP China 
			 Minister of State Indonesia 
			  Israel 
			  Japan 
			  Libya 
			  Occupied Palestinian Territories 
			  South Korea 
			  Syria 
			  Tunisia 
			   
			 Gillian Merron MP Brazil 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Jamaica 
			  Pakistan 
			  Trinidad 
			   
			 Meg Munn MP Australia 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Barbados 
			  Belize 
			  Cambodia 
			  Costa Rica 
			  Guatemala 
			  Malaysia 
			  Mexico 
			  New Zealand 
			  Niue (Pacific) 
			  Philippines 
			  Singapore 
			  Spain 
		
	
	
		
			  2009- 10 
			   Country 
			 Right hon. David Miliband Afghanistan 
			 Secretary of State Belgium 
			  Bermuda 
			  Bosnia 
			  Canada 
			  China 
			  Czech Republic 
			  Denmark 
			  France 
			  Germany 
			  Gibraltar 
			  Greece 
			  Ireland 
			  Italy 
			  Jordan 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Pakistan 
			  Poland 
			  Portugal 
			  Russia 
			  Saudi Arabia 
			  Spain 
			  Sri Lanka 
			  Sweden 
			  Switzerland 
			  the Netherlands 
			  Trinidad and Tobago 
			  Turkey 
			  USA 
			   
			 Bill Rammell MP Bahrain 
			 Minister of State Cambodia 
			  Egypt 
			  USA 
			  Vietnam 
			   
			 Right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown MP Angola 
			 Minister of State Libya 
			  Mozambique 
			  South Africa 
			  Switzerland 
			  USA 
			   
			 Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead Belgium 
			 Minister of State Bosnia 
			  Democratic Republic of Congo 
			  Ethiopia 
			  France 
			  Georgia 
			  Jamaica 
			  Kazakhstan 
			  Kenya 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Nigeria 
			  South Africa 
			  Sudan 
			  Sweden 
			  Switzerland 
			  Trinidad and Tobago 
			  Uganda 
			  USA 
			   
			 Ivan Lewis MP China 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Dubai 
			  Egypt 
			  Iraq 
			  Israel 
			  Lebanon 
			  Mali 
			  Morocco 
			  Palestine 
			  Syria 
			  Tibet 
			  USA 
			  Yemen 
			   
			 Gillian Merron MP British Virgin Islands 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Colombia 
			  USA 
			   
			 Chris Bryant MP Australia 
			  Belgium 
			  Chile 
			  Colombia 
			  Cyprus 
			  Germany 
			  Greece 
			  Laos 
			  Luxembourg 
			  Mexico 
			  New Zealand 
			  Papua New Guinea 
			  Peru 
			  Russia 
			  Spain 
			  Thailand 
			  Turkey 
			  Venezuela

Departmental Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 325-26W, on the diplomatic service, what constitutes the calculation of disproportionate cost; and on how many other occasions has this answer been provided by his Department since May 2010.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides written answers in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance which can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/guide_to_parliamentary_work.pdf
	Guidance on the disproportionate cost threshold is issued by Her Majesty's Treasury in the form of a written ministerial statement. This was last issued in January 2010 (20 January 2010,  Official Report, column 15WS).
	No record is kept of the number of answers the FCO gives using disproportionate cost. These will be available in the  Official Report.

European Union

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which powers he is seeking to repatriate from the EU.

David Lidington: The Government's priority is the EU Bill. This will increase democratic and parliamentary control, scrutiny and accountability in EU decision making. We have also begun initial work to review the EU's existing competences, to see if they strike the right balance between what should be done at EU level and national level. We will look at individual dossiers, such as the application of the working time directive in the UK, as well as the bigger picture. But, in accordance with the coalition agreement, we have been clear that there will be no transfer of power or competence from the UK to the EU during the lifespan of this Parliament.

Germany: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of anti-Semitism in Brandenburg, Germany and the surrounding area; what recent representations he has made to the Government of Germany on anti-Semitism in that country; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The state Government of Brandenburg have said that in 2009 there were 109 instances of anti-Semitic crime in Brandenburg, four of them violent. I have made no representations to the Federal Government of Germany on this matter.
	The German Government take the rights of their citizens seriously. The German constitution, the basic law, enshrines legal rights, including in matters of religion or race. Article 1 provides for 'The Protection of Human Dignity', Article 3 provides for 'Equality before the Law' and Article 4 provides for 'Freedom of Faith, of Conscience and of Creed.'
	Section 130 of Germany's Penal Code also criminalises 'incitement to hatred' against any segment of the population. This carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Gulf States: Politics and Government

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work his Department is undertaking with the government of Kuwait to encourage democratic reform amongst Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Alistair Burt: We work closely with the Government of Kuwait to support their democratic process through ministerial, ambassadorial and working level discussions.
	We also work closely with other Gulf partners on such issues.
	Mechanisms such as the annual European Union/Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Ministerial Council, at which Kuwait is represented, also allow for wider discussions with all Gulf Cooperation Council partners.

Ivory Coast: Elections

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has offered in resolving the dispute in establishing a legitimate government in the Ivory Coast.

Henry Bellingham: The British Government fully support the position taken by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States that Mr Alassane Ouattara was the winner of the presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire. We support the efforts of these bodies to resolve the political crisis. We will continue to support measures that maintain pressure on Mr Laurent Gbagbo to cede power including sanctions against those impeding the will of the democratic majority.

Kuwait: Counter-terrorism

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department provides to the government of Kuwait to combat terrorist organisations in the Middle East.

Alistair Burt: The UK and Kuwait maintain close co-operation on counter-terrorism policy. On 9 August 2010 the UK and Kuwait signed a Memorandum of Understanding for security cooperation to facilitate the sharing of expertise and cooperate in the field of security in order to tackle any threats facing the two countries including fighting terrorism, organised crime and money laundering.
	The recent visit to Kuwait made by my noble Friend Baroness Neville-Jones to speak at the Fourth Anti Money-Laundering Conference highlighted the valuable work undertaken by the UK and Kuwait to combat illicit financing across the globe.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the objectives of Government policy on the Middle East Peace Process are for 2011;
	(2)  what his most recent assessment is of progress on the Middle East Peace Process.

Alistair Burt: The window for peace in the middle east is closing as the facts on the ground change: there is an urgent need for progress to secure a two state solution, based on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the future capital of two states and with a fair settlement for refugees. This is important for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the international community, including the UK. We understand the depth of Israeli security concerns. But the strength of our friendship means that we can and must say frankly that we were disappointed that Israel did not renew the freeze on settlement construction and that peace talks are currently on hold. We will continue to work with the United States, the parties to the conflict and with our EU and UN partners to return to direct negotiations to achieve a two state solution.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made by the UN inquiry panel chaired by Geoffrey Palmer investigating the interception on 31 May 2010 of the Free Gaza movement flotilla.

Alistair Burt: The UN inquiry panel, headed by Geoffrey Palmer, last delivered a progress report to the UN Secretary-General on 15 September 2010. The report was largely procedural in nature, explaining the panel's understanding of the tasks at hand and working methods. We understand the panel is due to deliver its final report in March 2011 at the earliest.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the UN Secretary-General's establishment of a panel of inquiry, and both Israel and Turkey's commitment to participate. The panel has an important role to play in investigating and resolving the dispute over the Gaza flotilla incident and preventing future recurrence. It is also vital that the existing national investigations proceed swiftly, transparently and rigorously to ensure full accountability.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2010,  Official Report, column 515W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what recent progress he has made together with his EU counterparts on further EU action for peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.

Alistair Burt: The middle east peace process remains among the government's highest foreign policy priorities. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Territories on 3-4 November 2010, during which he spoke with both Palestinian and Israeli Ministers to urge them to make progress.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also continues to work closely with his EU counterparts and the right hon. Baroness Ashton to explore the scope for further EU action.
	The UK supported the December 2010 EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions which reaffirmed the EU's stance supporting a negotiated two state solution. It remains the UK view that this is the only sustainable solution with a viable Palestinian state existing alongside a secure Israel recognised by her neighbours. These conclusions also expressed the EU's concern over the prevailing situation in Gaza. The EU reiterated its call for the immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answers of 14 June 2010,  Official Report, column 301W, and 12 July 2010,  Official Report, column 515W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what recent progress has been made on lifting the Gaza blockade; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Israel's recent announcement on exports was an encouraging step. The key will be implementation. We discuss these issues regularly with the Government of Israel and will continue to do so. Following the recent announcement the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development had positive discussions with the Government of Israel about the type and levels of exports they plan to achieve in 2011. We want to see a return to pre-2007 levels of exports in 2011 and have made clear that we stand ready, with EU partners, to work with Israel to achieve this.

Singapore: Press Freedom

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of Singapore on behalf of Mr Alan Shadrake; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: In my statement of 16 November 2010, I expressed dismay that Mr Shadrake had been convicted and sentenced to six weeks in jail in Singapore for expressing his personal views on the Singaporean legal system.
	In January 2011, our high commissioner, Paul Madden, raised Mr Shadrake's case during his farewell call on Singapore's Foreign Minister, George Yeo, highlighting the UK position on freedom of expression. We will continue to call on all countries, including Singapore, to recognise the right to freedom of expression as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
	Our high commission in Singapore will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Shadrake, as they have done since his arrest in July 2010. Mr Shadrake is currently appealing against his conviction.

Tanzania

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the deaths of protesters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Henry Bellingham: I was saddened to hear of the deaths in Arusha of protesters who were demonstrating against the outcome of the mayoral election held in December 2010. Our high commission in Tanzania is monitoring the situation closely. Our high commissioner is in contact at the highest level with the Government of Tanzania and Opposition leaders to clarify the circumstances of these tragic deaths, and to urge for a resolution through political dialogue.

Tanzania

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with his Tanzanian counterpart; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien) and I have had numerous discussions with senior members of the Tanzanian Government concerning all aspects of our bilateral relationship. These discussions have included the future of our trade and development relationships, and our joint work to advance peace and security in East Africa, in particular on the growing problem of piracy in the Indian ocean.

Tanzania

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contact the British High Commission in Tanzania has had with opposition leaders in that country since their arrest in January 2010.

Henry Bellingham: Our high commission staff have been in touch with senior representatives of the opposition party since news broke of their arrest on 5 January. Our high commissioner spoke to Dr Slaa, Secretary-General of the Chama cha Maendeleo na Demokrasia (Party for Democracy and Development) (CHADEMA), on 12 January 2011, following the funerals of those killed during the demonstrations, to stress the need for a peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue.

Turkey: Religious Freedom

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet his Turkish counterpart to discuss the religious  (a) rights and  (b) properties of the Greek Christian minority in Turkey.

David Lidington: Our embassy in Ankara raises the issue of respect for all religious minorities in its wider discussions on human rights with its Turkish counterparts. Respect for religious minority groups was also raised in the 2010 Progress Report on Turkey's EU Accession process.

West Africa: EU Immigration

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on financial assistance for North African countries to deal with humanitarian issues relating to West African migrants coming to the EU.

Alistair Burt: Through the EU, the UK provides support to some north African countries to help implement their agreed country action plans. These funds support work across a number of areas, including migration and strengthening the rule of law. The Department for International Development does not provide direct support because it prioritises assistance to less developed countries.

TREASURY

Banks: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the  (a) Northern Ireland Executive,  (b) Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and  (c) Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effects on Northern Ireland of banking regulation.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Capital Gains Tax

Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek a refund of the capital gains tax levied by the Spanish Government on British citizens which the European Court of Justice has declared to be discriminatory.

David Gauke: These cases concern tax paid by individuals to a foreign state. It follows that the UK Government has no direct involvement and it is for the individuals themselves to take forward any action if they believe they have paid too much tax following a decision by the ECJ.

Commodity Markets: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the regulation of commodity derivative markets;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure transparency in commodity derivative markets for  (a) regulators,  (b) market participants and  (c) the public.

Mark Hoban: A number of European initiatives seek to increase transparency in derivatives markets, including commodity derivative markets. These include:
	A proposed regulation on derivatives transactions, central counterparties and trade repositories, the detail of which is currently under negotiation in the European Council;
	A review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), on which the European Commission has recently issued a consultation paper; and
	A proposed regulation on energy market integrity and transparency, currently in the early stages of discussion in the European Council.
	The UK supports the G20 commitment to improve transparency in financial and commodity markets and is closely engaged in these processes.

Departmental Bonuses

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which occasions he has discussed with the chief executives of  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland Group,  (b) Lloyds Banking Group and  (c) Barclays (i) the bonuses paid to their staff and (ii) their personal bonus since 1 December 2010.

Mark Hoban: The Chancellor of the Exchequer meets chief executives of UK banks on a range of issues. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many windows of his Department's premises in Whitehall were broken in  (a) November and  (b) December 2010; and on what dates such breakages occurred.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	as the windows that were broken were in HM Revenue and Customs' office at 100 Parliament street.
	Four window panels were broken on 24 November 2010 and 41 window panels were broken on 9 December 2010.

Departmental Labour Turnover

Jesse Norman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the staff turnover rate in his Department was in each of the 15 years up to 2005.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him on 23 November 2010,  Official Report, column 271W.
	Information on the annual turnover for each of the 15 years up to 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on press cuttings services in each year since 1997.

Justine Greening: Spending on press cuttings since 2002-03 is shown in the following table. Because of a change in accounting system in 2002-03, information in relation to earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 279,717 
			 2003-04 319,692 
			 2004-05 268,198 
			 2005-06 300,825 
			 2006-07 229,632 
			 2007-08 201,509 
			 2008-09 395,651 
			 2009-10 322,729

EU: Budget

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) gross and  (b) net UK contribution to the EU budget was in each of the last 10 years.

Justine Greening: Figures for the UK's gross and net contributions are available in the annual White Paper on the "EU Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement". The latest publication is available in the House Library as well as online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/european_union _finances_2010.pdf
	For convenience, the UK's gross and net contributions for the last 10 financial years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  UK  contributions to EU budget( 1) 
			  £ billion 
			   Gross contribution( 2)  Net receipts( 3) 
			 2001-02 4.8 -1.5 
			 2002-03 6.5 -3.1 
			 2003-04 7.5 -3.3 
			 2004-05 8.5 -3.9 
			 2005-06 8.1 -4.4 
			 2006-07 8.7 -3.5 
			 2007-08 9.8 -4.2 
			 2008-09 7.6 -3.0 
			 2009-10 9.5 -4.7 
			 2010-11 12.6 -7.9 
			 (1 )Source-Various editions of the EU budget White Paper, 2010-11 projection from the OBR Autumn Forecast (Public Finances Supplementary Data, Table 1.6): http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/econ-fiscal-outlook.html (2) After UK abatement. (3) Net of public sector receipts.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate revenue to accrue to the Exchequer in a financial year from fuel duty levied at the present rate on unleaded petrol and diesel on the basis of  (a) the volume of fuel purchased in the most recent financial year for which figures are available and  (b) an average price of £1.30 for diesel and £1.26 for petrol.

Justine Greening: Table C11 on page 100 of the June Budget (HC61) forecasts receipts from fuel duty in 2010-11 and through to 2015-16. An update will be provided in Budget 2011 on 23 March. Information on fuel supply volumes is available at:
	www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bulloil

Financial Services: Post Offices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of delivering independent financial advice through the Post Office network.

Mark Hoban: The Government have asked the Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) to deliver a free and impartial national financial advice service that will be available to everyone in the UK online, over the phone and face-to-face, by spring 2011. This will increase levels of financial literacy and empower people to take charge of their finances.
	CFEB invited bids to deliver the service last year. Post Office Ltd decided not to compete for the contract as they did not have the capacity to provide the advice required.

Fuels: Prices

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of introducing a fuel price stabiliser for the price of petrol.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department is considering the introduction of a fuel duty stabiliser.

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a fuel price stabiliser.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration his Department has given to the introduction of a fuel price stabiliser for petrol prices.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Members for Hartlepool (Mr Wright), York Outer (Julian Sturdy), Hendon (Mr Offord) and the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce) to the answer given on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 665W, to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith).

Fuels: Prices

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of petrol prices in  (a) rural and  (b) island petrol forecourts; and if his Department will undertake a study of the effects of such prices on rural economies;
	(2)  what the timetable is for discussions with the European Commission on his plans for a rural fuel duty rebate; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) on 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1143W.
	A range of evidence is being considered as part of the work prior to submitting a formal proposal to the European Commission for a pilot scheme that will deliver a maximum of five pence per litre duty discount on petrol and diesel in remote rural areas.

Income Tax

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people will be taken out of income tax as a result of the £1,000 increase in the personal allowance in each  (a) region,  (b) local authority and  (c) parliamentary constituency.

David Gauke: June 2010 Budget estimates of the number of persons taken out of income tax as a result of the £1,000 increase in the personal allowance in 2011-12 by Government office region are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Government office region  Number taken out of tax (thousand) 
			 North East 38 
			 North West and Merseyside 107 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 79 
			 East Midlands 64 
			 West Midlands 77 
			 East of England 83 
			 London 110 
			 South East 108 
			 South West 76 
			 Wales 41 
			 Scotland 71 
			 Northern Ireland 25 
			 All 880 
		
	
	These estimates are calculated using the HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 in line with the June 2010 Budget assumptions.
	It not possible to produce reliable estimates for local authorities and parliamentary constituencies due to small sample sizes at these levels of geography.
	Information on the distribution of taxpayer numbers by LA and PC in 2007-08 is available on the HMRC website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#315

Income Tax

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many basic rate taxpayers will pay less tax as a result of the £1,000 increase in the personal allowance in each financial year from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

David Gauke: In the June 2010 Budget it was estimated that 23 million basic rate taxpayers will gain an average of £170 in 2011-12.
	This estimate is calculated using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 in line with June 2010 Budget assumptions.
	Numbers of basic rate taxpayers who will benefit in later years will be broadly comparable, increasing gradually over time assuming indexation of the basic rate limit.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the likely effects of changes to the claimant count forecast in the November Economic and Fiscal Outlook on projections for expenditure on  (a) jobseeker's allowance and  (b) housing benefit.

David Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.
	 Letter from Robert Chote, dated 13 January 2011:
	As Chair of the Budget Responsibility Committee of the Office for Budget Responsibility I have been asked to reply to your recent question.
	The forecast effects of changes to the claimant count forecast in the November 2010 "Economic and fiscal outlook" on the forecast for these benefits are shown in Table 4.16 of the "Economic and fiscal outlook" document. The figures are contained in the line in Table 4.16 that shows the change in DWP benefit payments on account of changes in the economic assumption for unemployment.
	The effects on benefits from the changes to the claimant count forecast shown in that table are in the order of £0.2 billion, or less. These figures cover changes to jobseeker's allowance and housing benefits, and also some negligible amounts to council tax benefit. The OBR only shows forecasts of spending to the nearest £0.1 billion, and most of the changes to the underlying benefits are less than £0.1 billion.

Lloyds TSB: Compensation

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department plans to take steps to address Lloyds TSB shareholders' compensation claims arising from the HBOS/Lloyds TSB merger.

Mark Hoban: Treasury has received a letter written on behalf of certain shareholders in Lloyds, alleging that the circular sent out by Lloyds to its shareholders in advance of the HBOS acquisition was misleading, and that Treasury is responsible for that. Treasury has replied, strongly refuting the allegation.

Maternity Payments: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for a second or subsequent child by the Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area that covers Gateshead constituency in 2009-10.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	The Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area that covers the constituency of Gateshead is Northumbria. A total of 4,800 Sure Start maternity grants were awarded for Northumbria in 2009-10. The exact number of awards for a second or subsequent maternity for Northumbria in 2009-10 is not available, but is estimated to be 52% of all awards, namely 2,500.
	 Notes:
	1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using official/national statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as official/national statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, the total number of Sure Start maternity grant awards for Northumbria does not include claims which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System.
	2. Both numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System (for total number of awards for Northumbria).
	The estimate of 52% was obtained by analysing families in Great Britain with a child (or children) aged under one from the Department for Work and Pensions Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries for August 2009.

Oil and Food: Prices

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect on  (a) inflation and  (b) economic growth of likely increases in (i) oil and (ii) food prices in 2011.

Justine Greening: The Government consider a range of factors when making their assessment of the UK economy. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out its forecast for the economy in its November 2010 "Economic and Fiscal Outlook". The OBR's inflation forecast is broadly consistent with the Bank of England and HM Treasury's latest average of independent forecasts.

Pensions and Benefits: Uprating

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to consult the UK Statistics Authority on his proposed changes to the index-linking arrangements for pensions and benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply
	, and I apologise for the delay in replying.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) on 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 100W.

Renewables Obligation

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2010,  Official Report, column 209W, on the renewables obligation, if he will estimate the contribution of the renewables obligation to the total tax burden; and if he will estimate the sum attributed from the renewables obligation to public expenditure.

Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has published a forecast of the Renewables Obligation (RO) in its "Economic and fiscal outlook" on 29 November 2010. This forecast is consistent with the ONS's current methodology for evaluating tax and spend through the RO, though the ONS are currently reviewing this.
	RO outturn and forecast data can be found in table 1.3 at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/fiscal_supplementary_tables_291110.xls
	The OBR also produce forecasts for the total tax burden, known as National Accounts taxes in table 4.6 (p91) of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This is available at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/d/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf

Revenue and Customs: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which individuals and organisations he plans to consult on the future of HM Revenue and Customs staff and buildings in Liverpool following the outcome of the comprehensive spending review; and when he expects such consultation processes to commence;
	(2)  whom he plans to consult on the future of the HM Revenue and Customs estate in Liverpool; and when he expects the consultation to take place.

David Gauke: The purpose of the review of the Liverpool estate is to establish business requirements for the future and how this will shape estate requirements. As part of this, HMRC will consult with the Government Property Unit about the estate requirements of other Government Departments in the Liverpool area and internally with business managers and, via the trade unions, with members of staff. Consultation has already started and will be taken forward jointly by HMRC's Workforce Management Programme and the Estate Consolidation Programme.

Revenue and Customs: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the results of the latest review of the HM Revenue and Customs estate in Liverpool; and what options he is considering for the future of that estate.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not yet completed the latest review of its estate in Liverpool. Options under consideration include the vacation of its building at Queens Dock but no decisions have yet been taken. This was communicated to staff at the four offices in Liverpool in December. Discussions with internal business units and the Government Property Unit in relation to wider civil estate needs have already started and HMRC expects to be able to publish the outcome of the review of the Liverpool estate in spring 2011.

Tax Collection: Debts

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people had tax debts of under £10,000 in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many and what proportion of these cases he estimates will be referred to private sector debt collection agencies;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to allow private sector debt collection agencies to undertake door-to-door visits to taxpayers to recover debts.

David Gauke: Centrally collated information on the number and proportion of people who have tax debts of under £10,000 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	HMRC will be referring a range of types, sizes and ages of debts to private sector debt collection agencies in 2010-11 including debts relating to both individual and business debtors. This will accelerate the collection of lower value debts and is expected to generate an additional £140 million from debts that might otherwise be written off.
	HMRC do not currently refer cases to private sector debt collection agencies for door-to-door visits and this work is currently undertaken in-house by HMRC. There are no current plans to change this approach.

Taxation

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of tax receipts for  (a) business services,  (b) education, health and social work,  (c) financial intermediation,  (d) manufacturing and  (e) other wholesale and retail trade from (i) personal tax, (ii) direct business tax, (iii) consumption tax, (iv) property tax and (v) environmental tax in (A) 1998-99, (B) 1999-2000, (C) 2000-01, (D) 2001-02 and (E) 2002-03.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 January 2011,  Official Report, columns 463-64W.
	The full breakdown of tax receipts outlined in the question is not available.
	HMRC produce a breakdown by broad industrial sector for corporation tax, PAYE income tax and class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) and value added tax (VAT), No breakdown by industrial sector for self-assessment taxation or property and environmental taxes is available.
	As for the previous answer, historical figures for corporation tax receipts paid by several broadly-defined business sectors for the years requested are published in Table 11.1 on the HMRC National Statistics website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/table11_1.pdf
	For personal taxes a breakdown by sector can be produced for PAYE income tax and class 1 NICs received by HMRC in respect of employee and employer liabilities. Figures for the requested sectors are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			 Business services 22,830 26,582 28,050 27,948 
			 Education 11,441 12,442 13,206 14,105 
			 Health and social work 8,648 9,035 9,659 10,845 
			 Financial intermediation 11,866 15,525 15,115 15,536 
			 Manufacturing 24,185 24,752 23,925 23,731 
			 Wholesale and retail trade 14,944 15,824 15,978 17,025 
		
	
	Figures are not available for years prior to 1999-2000. The sectors are defined by the Office for National Statistics' Standard Industrial Classification 2003.
	Declared VAT is published by trade group in the VAT factsheet, table 2.3:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factvat
	Archived factsheets provide figures for earlier years:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factarchive&factcategory=8
	Figures for 2001, 2002 and 2003 not contained in the archived factsheets are in the following table. These data relate to calendar years and are not available in financial year format. Figures for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			  Total net tax 
			  £ million 
			   2001  2002  2003 
			 Business services 14,792 16,618 18,315 
			 Education 118 53 50 
			 Health and social work 167 205 215 
			 Financial intermediation 500 725 969 
			 Manufacturing 9,733 12,267 12,924 
			 Wholesale and retail trade 18,886 19,350 20,759 
		
	
	These sectors are defined by the Office for National Statistics' Standard Industrial Classification 2003.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's document, Furnished Holiday Lettings: a summary of responses, 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the metrics  (a) used in the impact assessment to calculate the anticipated differential impact on businesses in remote and rural areas of changes to related eligibility criteria and  (b) which underpinned the conclusion that evidence suggested that the projected asymmetry was not of sufficient scale to outweigh the considerations which led to the Government's proposals;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library the numerical basis used to inform the impact assessment;
	(3)  what field research was undertaken in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and in what ways the findings of such research influenced the position set out in the key findings and the Government's response;
	(4)  how many  (a) supportive and  (b) negative responses were received to question five in his Department's consultation on furnished holiday lettings from respondents in  (a) Wales,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) each region in England.

David Gauke: The impact assessment includes relevant information to assess the costs, benefits and risks of proposed legislation and forms the basis on which decisions are made.
	There is no intention to prepare additional material for publication other than has already been published.
	The key findings and Government response set out in the document were informed by representations received and meetings held with interested parties.
	Responses to question 5 in the consultation were not categorised as supportive or negative as this was a factual question seeking evidence on regional variations.

Taxation: International Co-operation

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax information exchange agreements the Government have established with other countries; and whether he has any plans to review such agreements.

David Gauke: Tax information exchange agreements are in force with Bermuda, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, the British Virgin Islands, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar and the Bahamas. Similar agreements have been signed with Anguilla, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada, Belize, San Marino, the former Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and Liberia but these have yet to enter into force. The United Kingdom can also exchange information with over 100 other jurisdictions through our network of agreements for the avoidance of double taxation and under bilateral agreements regarding the taxation of income from savings. All international tax agreements are kept under review.
	Information on all the UK's international tax agreements is available on the HMRC website.

VAT: Charities

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost to charities in 2011 of raising the value added tax rate to 20%; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Charities benefit from a range of tax reliefs which for 2009-10 the Government estimate are worth approximately £3 billion per annum. These include reliefs from VAT; for example: VAT zero-rating on the sale of donated goods, medical and scientific equipment and, for qualifying charities, goods for use by disabled people. All zero rates are derogations from the normal EU VAT rules, and represent benefits not enjoyed by charities elsewhere in Europe.
	Charities carrying out non-taxable activities may incur irrecoverable VAT on their purchases, but information is not available to assess accurately the amount or the effect of the increase in the standard rate of VAT.

VAT: Charities

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of changing the value added tax (VAT) rules to ensure that charities are not adversely affected by the recent rise in VAT; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government inherited an exceptional fiscal challenge. The most urgent priority is to tackle the record budget deficit to restore confidence in our economy and support the recovery. We recognise that the increase in the rate of VAT is unwelcome, but it is necessary to sustain public finances and ensure long-term fiscal stability.
	The Government support charities. Charity tax reliefs are currently worth around £3 billion a year, of which Gift Aid makes up over £1 billion, and the Government are committed to retaining the existing VAT zero rates for charities, which provide them with a benefit of around £200 million. We will continue to look at options within the VAT system where these are available to us and affordable within agreed funding arrangements.

VAT: Pensioners

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to a pensioner of the increase in the rate of value added tax.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Clwyd South (Susan Elan Jones) on 19 July 2010,  Official Report, column 170W.

VAT: Third Sector

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the amount of additional value added tax to be paid by charities, voluntary organisations, and the third sector in each financial year to 2015-16 attributable to the increase in the basic rate of this tax on 4 January 2011.

David Gauke: Charities benefit from a range of tax reliefs which for 2009-10 the Government estimate are worth approximately £3 billion per annum. These include reliefs from VAT; for example: VAT zero-rating on the sale of donated goods, medical and scientific equipment and, for qualifying charities, goods for use by disabled people. All zero rates are derogations from the normal EU VAT rules, and represent benefits not enjoyed by charities elsewhere in Europe.
	Charities carrying out non-taxable activities may incur irrecoverable VAT on their purchases but information is not available to assess accurately the amount or the effect of the increase in the standard rate of VAT.

VAT: Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations his Department has received from  (a) Visit Britain and  (b) other interested bodies on the effect on businesses in the (i) restaurant and (ii) hotel sectors of the level of value added tax.

David Gauke: The Department has received no representations from Visit Britain on these points. The hospitality sector has long argued that it should be subject to a reduced rate of VAT.

Ways and Means: Financial Statement

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his contribution of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 178, on ways and means: financial statement, what progress has been made towards the introduction of a fuel stabiliser; if he will introduce a fuel rebate for residents of remote rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 665W and to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr MacNeil) on 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1143W.

DEFENCE

15 Brigade Headquarters

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the annual amount of carbon dioxide emissions arising from travel of personnel between 15 Brigade headquarters and the units under its command at  (a) its current location in York and  (b) a new location at Catterick.

Gerald Howarth: It is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the carbon dioxide emissions arising from the travel of between 15 (North East) Brigade headquarters and the units under its command at this time.

15 Brigade Headquarters

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many disabled service and ex-service personnel work at  (a) 15 Brigade headquarters and  (b) other locations at Imphal Barracks, York.

Gerald Howarth: There are no disabled service personnel currently working at Imphal Barracks, York, but 13 civilians working at the barracks have declared themselves as disabled. We are unable to say how many of those civilians are ex-service personnel, as civilian personnel are not required to declare whether they are ex-service.

15 Brigade Headquarters

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission an equality and diversity report to assess the suitability of  (a) the 15 Brigade headquarters premises at York and  (b) Bourlon Barracks at Catterick for employment of disabled service and ex-service personnel.

Gerald Howarth: We regularly review our obligations under equality and diversity policies at all our bases and a review was conducted at 15 Brigade Headquarters in December 2010.
	There are no firm plans at present to locate further units at Bourlon Barracks in Catterick. However, should a decision be made to develop Bourlon Barracks, we would comply with the legal requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, to ensure that the needs of all disabled personnel are taken into account.

15 Brigade Headquarters

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the capital cost of bringing Bourlon Barracks at Catterick up to the standard required for use as a brigade or garrison headquarters; if he will estimate the staff redundancy and recruitment costs which would arise from moving 15 Brigade headquarters from York to Catterick; and if he will carry out a full investment appraisal before deciding where to locate the 15 Brigade headquarters.

Gerald Howarth: Bourlon Barracks is being retained as a site for future development within the Catterick Long Term Development Plan, which could see additional units being moved to Catterick. No estimate of costs involved has been made since there are no firm plans at present.
	A project team has been set up to review the headquarters structure of the Regional Divisions and Brigades within the UK and it is currently looking at the functional responsibilities and span of control of each of the Brigades. This work is expected to be completed later this year.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the recently planned official visit to Afghanistan of James Blunt and Katherine Jenkins did not take place; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Katherine Jenkins and James Blunt were due to fly to Afghanistan on a civilian chartered aircraft on 20 December 2010. Due to a technical issue a spare part was required. Unfortunately, by the time it took to arrive and once a time to enter European airspace was reallocated (which was beyond our control), the crew had exceeded their duty time, necessitating the cancellation of the flight. With the general disruption to the airbridge and to civilian flights into and out of the UK as a result of snow, they were understandably unable to rearrange their schedules. Therefore regrettably, the visit did not take place.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much rest and recuperation a soldier serving in Afghanistan has received on average in each of the last three years.

Gerald Howarth: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only through a manual search of records. However, on 22 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 29-30WS, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced that all service personnel serving tours in Afghanistan and Iraq of six months or longer will continue to receive two weeks mid-tour leave, but now with a guarantee that any days lost owing to delays in transit or for any other operational reason, will be made up at the end of their tour.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers serving in Afghanistan assigned to home leave for Christmas 2010 did not return to the UK by 25 December 2010.

Gerald Howarth: None. Despite adverse weather conditions and technical issues, all members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan who were due to be back in the UK for rest and recuperation over the Christmas period arrived before 25 December 2010.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the level of poverty among armed forces veterans who retired before 1975 and do not receive a full armed forces pension; and what welfare provision his Department offers to people who retired from the armed forces before 1975.

Gerald Howarth: No such estimate has been made. The Government provide a comprehensive programme of support for all ex-service personnel. All former service personnel facing difficulties in their civilian lives, regardless of when they retired from service, have access to the free Veterans Helpline and the Veterans Welfare Service which provides tailored advice and support to those in need.
	We are committed to rebuilding the Military Covenant and officials are in regular discussion with the Department of Health, Ministry of Justice, Department of Communities and Local Government and the Department of Work and Pensions, the devolved Administrations and others to ensure that former servicemen and women receive the services they deserve.
	Former service personnel injured as a result of service before 6 April 2005 can apply for compensation in the form of a war pension, and this includes those who served before 1975 and who are not in receipt of a full armed forces occupational pension. For those whose disablement affects their ability to work, additional provision may be made in the form of supplementary allowances, paid in addition to the war pension. All pensions and allowances are tax-free and can be worth up to £520 per week.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the criteria for entitlement to a full armed forces pension for people who retired from the armed forces before 1975 were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: No such review has been conducted as the criteria for entitlement to a full armed forces pension is the same for those who retired both before and after 1975.
	Prior to 1975 officers who left service at age 55 with 34 years reckonable service and other ranks who left at age 55 with 37 years reckonable service were entitled to a full career pension. This qualifying period remained the same when the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 was introduced.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the merits of extending eligibility for an armed forces pension to those who retired from the armed forces before 1975.

Andrew Robathan: No. It is a principle of public service pensions policy, and one that has been upheld by successive Governments, that any changes to pension schemes are not made retrospective. It is a legal principle that individuals receive the benefits in accordance with the scheme rules in place at the time of their retirement.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of extending eligibility for a full armed forces pension to those who retired from the armed forces before 1975; and what proportion of his Department's budget this would represent in 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: No specific estimate has been made of the cost of backdating armed forces' preserved pensions prior to 1975 but as the number of those affected is large, the costs would be considerable and likely to run into billions of pounds.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces veterans who retired before 1975 and do not receive a full armed forces pension live in  (a) Wigan constituency,  (b) the North West and  (c) the UK.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held.

Greece: World War II

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Red Arrows and the Royal Navy participate in the Kalamata Memorial Service for the Greek Campaign in May 2011.

Gerald Howarth: The Government fully endorse the importance of commemorating past conflicts in which UK forces were involved, showing respect for those who gave their lives in many parts of the world for their country.
	I can confirm that a request has been made for Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (Red Arrows) support at the Kalamata Memorial Service for the Greek Campaign in 2011 and this is currently under consideration.

Met Office

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the Met Office published estimates in October 2010 which showed a 60 to 80 per cent chance of warmer-than-average temperatures in the winter of 2010; and what the scientific basis of such estimates was.

Andrew Robathan: This was one piece of raw computer model output, published in the science area of the Met Office website for international collaboration with other scientists and not issued as a long range forecast to the public. Met Office forecasts are produced by weighing up all available evidence. In late October 2010, based on all available evidence, the Met Office advised that there was an increased risk for a cold and wintry start to the winter season.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flight hours there are on each airframe in the  (a) VC-10,  (b) TriStar and  (c) Nimrod R 1 fleets.

Nick Harvey: The following table gives the total flying hours undertaken by each airframe of the VC10, TriStar and Nimrod R1 fleets. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred hours.
	
		
			  Tail number  Total flying hours 
			  VC10  
			 XV101 43,000 
			 XV102 41,400 
			 XV104 38,700 
			 XV105 38,000 
			 XV106 41,500 
			 XV107 38,800 
			 XV108 38,400 
			 XR808 43,200 
			 ZA147 48,800 
			 ZA148 47,400 
			 ZA149 41,700 
			 ZA150 39,200 
			 ZD241 52,100 
			   
			  TriStar  
			 ZD948 33,400 
			 ZD949 29,700 
			 ZD950 31,300 
			 ZD951 29,900 
			 ZD952 35,700 
			 ZD953 29,900 
			 ZE704 50,100 
			 ZE705 51,800 
			 ZE706 38,400 
			   
			  Nimrod R1  
			 XW664 21,100 
			 XW249 18,200 
		
	
	The total flying hours of an aircraft do not on their own determine the operational utility, condition or remaining service life. All aircraft have appropriate scheduled and preventative maintenance programmes. Aircraft can also be extended in service through specific programmes to extend fatigue-life and additional or upgraded capabilities can be fitted to older aircraft.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what factors his Department's decision of 28 February 2002 to discontinue the Sea Harrier FA2 was based.

Nick Harvey: This decision to discontinue the Sea Harrier was made by the previous Government. I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the then Minister for the Armed Forces on 28 February 2002,  Official Report, column 1453W.

Military Bases: Okehampton

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the room booking schedule for accommodation at Okehampton Training Camp for August 2011; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many beds there are at Okehampton Training Camp; on what basis such beds are allocated; and if he will make a statement.

Gerald Howarth: A copy of the August 2011 electronic room schedule for Okehampton Training Camp is being placed in the Library of the House.
	Of the 776 beds at Okehampton Training Camp, only 517 are covered by the contractual agreement between Defence Estates and Landmarc Support Services. The use of any beds above that number is charged at a higher rate. The current assessment is that all 517 beds are required in August 2011 for military training purposes (and on the basis of previous years it is likely that all 776 beds may be required in August for military personnel).
	Beds are allocated in accordance with the military booking priorities set out in Joint Service Publication 907. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

RAF Kinloss

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of returning the RAF Kinloss site to its original owners in its  (a) current state and  (b) original condition as agricultural land.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not yet made an assessment.
	When an airfield is declared surplus to Defence requirements it is normal for MOD to investigate the Crichel Down (Former Owner) position. Whatever the outcome of any eventual investigation, there is no obligation to return it to its original condition.
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review concluded that the RAF would not need Kinloss and two other bases; no final decisions have been made about alternative military use.

War Pensions

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will estimate the change in unemployability allowance payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer price index rather than the retail price index to calculate such allowances;
	(2)  if he will estimate the change in disablement gratuity for each specified minor injury to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer price index rather than the retail price index to calculate such sums;
	(3)  if he will estimate the change in disability pension payable to a member of each of the armed forces at each rank living until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years as a result of the use of the consumer price index rather than the retail price index to calculate such pensions;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue to his Department from the change in pension indexation from the retail price index to the consumer price index in each financial year to 2019-20.

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much less exceptionally severe disablement allowance a member of the armed forces in each of the three forces retiring at each rank would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index if they lived until  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years;
	(2)  how much less mobility allowance a member of the armed forces in each of the three forces retiring at each rank would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index if they lived to the age of  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years;
	(3)  how much less invalidity allowance a member of the armed forces in each of the three forces retiring at each rank would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index if they lived to the age of  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years;
	(4)  how much less constant attendance allowance a member of the armed forces in each of the three forces retiring at each rank would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index if they lived to the age of  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years;
	(5)  how much less comforts allowance a member of the armed forces in each of the three forces retiring at each rank would receive as a result of the change to link pensions to the consumer prices index from the retail prices index if they lived to the age of  (a) 60,  (b) 65,  (c) 70,  (d) 75,  (e) 80,  (f) 85,  (g) 90,  (h) 95 and  (i) 100 years.

Gerald Howarth: No assessment of the kind requested can be made as future movements of the retail price index and consumer price index rates are not known.
	Such is the scale of the country's economic problems that we inherited, no part of society-not even the armed forces-can be fully exempt from the need to find ways to reduce the budget deficit, and some tough policy decisions have therefore had to be made. Armed forces pensions and compensation benefits cannot be treated in isolation from other public sector schemes and benefits.
	The emergency Budget announced that from April 2011 the indexation of benefits, tax credits and the state second pension will be based on the consumer prices index (CPI) instead of the retail price index (RPI). This change will also apply to public service pensions through the statutory link to the indexation of the additional pensions in long-term benefits. This link has been in place since 1979.
	Legislation which governs the uprating of pensions requires consideration to be given to increases in the general level of prices estimated in such manner as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions thinks fit-and therefore contemplates that different methods of doing so may be used from time to time. The Government consider that CPI, already used to set the inflation target for the Bank of England, is the appropriate index to use going forward, and will provide protection against inflation. Unlike the RPI, the way the index is constructed is designed to take account of the fact that consumers will tend to 'shop around', switching to cheaper alternatives when relative prices for similar goods change.
	The change in indexation is forward looking, so future increases in the value of deferred pensions, or pensions in payment will be based on the CPI. For this reason the Government believe that this is not a reduction of accrued rights-public service pensions will continue to be index linked and continue to protect individual pensions against increases in the cost of living.

EDUCATION

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 607W, on Building Schools for the Future programme, how many pieces of correspondence his Department received in support of the ending of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Nick Gibb: As noted in my reply to the hon. Member given on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 607W, the Department for Education is able to provide information on the number of items of correspondence received on a specific subject but is unable to provide information on specific correspondence content.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the future of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Tim Loughton: The future of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) is being considered as part of the Family Justice Review, which is currently under way.
	The review panel will be issuing an interim report in spring 2011 and a final report in September 2011. Future decisions about CAFCASS and the wider family justice system will be made in light of the panel's conclusions.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average time taken for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to allocate cases in each region was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: This question relates to an operational matter for which CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) is responsible. I have asked CAFCASS's chief executive, Anthony Douglas, to write to the hon. Gentleman with the requested information. A copy of the letter will be laid in the House Library in due course.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service employed in  (a) its head office and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) England employs a total of 2,037 staff. Of this number, 154 staff are employed in its national office and the remaining 1,883 are based across England. This information was correct at 15 December 2010.

Children in Care

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children  (a) in total,  (b) of asylum seekers and  (c) who had been trafficked entered local authority care in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 10 January 2011
	The number of children who have entered care including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the last five years is included in the following table. We do not centrally collect the number of looked-after children who may have been trafficked into the country.
	
		
			  Children who started to be looked-after during the years ending 31 March( 1, 2, 3, 4, ) years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010, coverage: England 
			  Number 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 All children who started to be looked-after 24,600 24,000 23,300 25,700 27,800 
			 Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who started to be looked-after 2,300 2,200 2,200 2,600 1,600 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.  (2) Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked-after in the year has been counted.  (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.  (4) Figures exclude children looked-after under an agreed series of short-term placements.   Source:  SSDA903.

Children in Care

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children  (a) in total,  (b) of asylum seekers and  (c) who had been trafficked went missing from local authority care in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 10 January 2011
	The number of children in care who went missing from care in the last five years, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, is included in the following table. We do not centrally collect the number of looked-after children who may have been trafficked into the country and who have gone missing from care.
	
		
			  Children looked-after who went missing from care during the year ending 31 March( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ) years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010, coverage: England 
			  Number 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 All children looked-after who went missing from care 890 970 980 930 810 
			 Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children looked-after who went missing from care 110 90 110 90 90 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  (2 )Figures exclude children looked-after under an agreed series of short-term placements.  (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.  (4) Children who went missing on more than one occasion during the year have been counted once.  (5) Includes looked-after children who were missing from care for a period of more than 24 hours.   Source:  SSDA903.

Children: Databases

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the National Signposting Service following the end of the ContactPoint database; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has been exploring the practicality of a new national signposting service in detail, together with relevant partners. I have recently written to Professor Eileen Munro, to ask her to consider this issue as part of her wider review into child protection, and she has agreed to take this on as part of her remit. I have placed a copy of the letter, which details some of the progress to date, and lays out the scope for Professor Munro to consider this issue, in the House Libraries.
	Professor Munro and I are agreed on the importance of avoiding the creation of any unnecessary demands on social workers and others at the front line. Any solution must be firmly focused on helping front-line professionals to spend as much time as possible helping vulnerable children and families.
	Professor Munro's interim report is due at the end of January and she will submit her final report to Ministers by the end of April 2011.
	 Letter from Tim Loughton, dated 8 November 2010:
	I am writing further to the meeting with key partners on 19 October to confirm next steps in relation to a possible national signposting service and the implications for your further work on your review of child protection.
	We share the starting position set out in my Written Ministerial Statement of 22 July. Frontline practitioners need to be able to provide support for the most vulnerable children when they move across local authority boundaries or access services in more than one area. Experience and research have shown the potential value of a quick and reliable means of discovering whether a child or young person has been or is the subject of a child protection plan and/or whether they are or have been a looked after child or young person. Following the roundtable discussion, we agreed that it is worth considering a national approach to these issues.
	We agree that any national approach must be fit for purpose, proportionate and relate to a clear need. It must also be cost effective and have benefits for the front line of child protection. This was not the case with ContactPoint. However, while recognising that ICT can never be the whole answer to improving frontline practice, it is worth considering whether ICT might play a useful role in supporting aspects of social work and the protection of children and young people-as indeed you have pointed out in your first review report. Our next steps on a possible national signposting service must therefore be taken forward in that context.
	At the end of the 19 October meeting, I drew out some clear propositions which had emerged from the discussion as a starting point for further work. If a new ICT system is the solution, or part of the solution, the children in scope should be limited to: those who are looked after; those with child protection plans; and, subject to further consideration of legal issues particularly relating to consent, those who have been the subject of section 47 investigations, it is important that any database only contains details of children known to be at risk, otherwise it could fall into disrepute. Clear criteria would also need to be in place for the removal of a child's details from the database.
	As you know, the Department has already explored the feasibility of a 'national signposting system'. This work has concluded that:
	such a signposting service is technically feasible
	among practitioners and their representatives there is no consensus over scope and purpose, but a presumption that if it goes ahead, its coverage should be tightly defined. As I have indicated, this is the presumption that I shall make
	similarly there is a range of views on the practitioners who may need access, whether direct or mediated, to a signposting system
	there may be scope for improvement of existing protocols and local practice, rather than, or in addition to, a new tool
	uncertainty over costs makes it problematic to commit to an ICT-based project, and to judge the value as against other possible uses of the likely resource
	the relationship between use of any new ICT system and professional practice is key, with a need to align with your review's recommendations on frontline practice.
	Given the discussions thus far on a national signposting service, and the stage you have reached on your review, you and I have agreed an appropriate way forward. You will consider the key underlying issues, notably:
	What do practitioners need to help them to quickly identify children who are the subject of protection plans or who are looked after and who come to the notice of professionals working with them or who are presented for help by parents/carers in local services outside their home areas?
	Should any other categories of children be regarded as so vulnerable that practitioners need to identify them quickly, such as those who have been looked after or the subject of child protection plans in the past, or those who have been the subject of section 47 investigations?
	How effective are existing measures for supporting mobile vulnerable children, and how might they be improved, including the measures, in place across police and health services?
	What new or changed processes or tools, which may include ICT solutions, would help frontline practitioners?
	The interactions of 'signposting' with your review, including any possible effects of a new IT system on social work practice
	and in the light of that, and of the cost-effectiveness of any ICT solution, what priority should be given to development of the kind of signposting service that has been discussed?
	The Department will support your consideration by gathering evidence by a variety of means, including in-depth studies in frontline settings and other forms of stakeholder engagement, and undertaking analysis. There will be no fixed assumption that ContactPoint assets should be re-used. Issues to be considered in this work will include:
	a. The use of small-scale pilots with LAs and/or busy A&Es, as well as other ways of gathering information, to clarify the scale and nature of the 'problem', model current and desirable practice and potential aids and solutions.
	b. Use made currently of the current Missing Children Notifications system, and how the system could be improved. To include
	(i) establishing the purpose of the system, investigating current use, its strengths, and known issues
	(ii) collecting feedback from local practitioners and understanding what works/potential barriers
	(iii) analysing evidence
	(iv) drawing conclusions on how the system could be improved
	c. Use made currently of police databases; potential for further use of these systems and the new Police National Database.
	d. And specifically in case an IT solution looks desirable
	(i) The nature of any such solution that would offer best value for money
	(ii) which professionals should have access, directly or indirectly, and how likely are they to use it and find it useful
	(iii) what data should be included, including possible inclusion of school and GP registration data as an aid to signposting
	(iv) archiving and exit criteria for data in any IT system
	(v) the cost profile and affordability, embodying realistic assumptions about development and operational costs and the implementation date.
	I should be grateful if you would participate at the appropriate level in the governance arrangements for this work, together with Sue White and officials who support your review. The Department will not start to develop any detailed documentation required for any ICT project until after a decision is taken to proceed.
	I look forward to seeing an update on progress in your January report and a final recommendation in your April report.
	 Letter from Professor Eileen Munro:
	Thank you for your letter dated 8 November confirming the next steps we agreed in consideration of a national signposting service for children known to be at risk. I am happy to incorporate this issue and its implications into my review of child protection in England and welcome your offer of support in gathering evidence to inform my recommendations.
	I concur with your view that a national approach to signposting, including any potential case for an ICT-based service, should be shaped by what practitioners need to help them carry out their work to protect children. As you have highlighted, it will be important to give very careful consideration to the criteria for including children on the system and for removing their names. As you have suggested, I will work with Professor Sue White, other members of my reference group and officials working on the review, to consider what practice tools or systems are already in place which could be built upon to meet practitioners' identified needs rather than creating an unnecessary additional system. It goes without saying that the cost-effectiveness of any recommendations will be central to my thinking, particularly with regard to the wider issue my review is addressing of unnecessary bureaucratic demands on social work time.
	I would ask in addition that you consider preserving some funding for the national signposting work, in order that any recommendations I am minded to make are, if necessary, supported by available resource.
	As you request, I will update you on my progress in January and seek to provide you with a final recommendation in my April report.

Departmental Marketing

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on (i) literature-based, (ii) television-based, (iii) telecommunications-based, (iv) electronic and (v) other campaigns and communications targeted at young people aged 16 to 24 years on (A) employment (B) training opportunities and (C) welfare in the last year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 29 November 2010
	There were no campaigns specifically aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds.
	However, the Department did run a campaign in 2009/10 to raise awareness of Connexions Direct among 13 to 19-year-old males and females, at a total cost of £217,559.00.

Departmental Operating Costs

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and each of its non-departmental public bodies spent on administration in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2005 and  (c) the latest year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The Department's spend on administration is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Administration costs (£000) 
			 1997/98 247,107 
			 2005/06 240,212 
			 2009/10 184,090 
		
	
	We do not have the information for our non-departmental public bodies as they do not record the costs for administration separately in their Financial Resource Accounts.
	2005/06 and 2009/10 figures were taken from the Department's Financial Resource Accounts and 1997/98 figures were taken from the Department's Appropriation Accounts.
	The figures are not directly comparable over the stated years due to changes in the Department's responsibilities and the difference in accounting methods used. The 1997 figures were prepared on a cash basis whereas all other figures were prepared using the accruals method of accounting.

Departmental Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible have taken to comply with the Guidance of the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement issued in 2009.

Tim Loughton: The Department and the non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) for which I am responsible have fully adopted the guidance issued by the Office of Government Commerce on promoting skills through public procurement.
	Internal guidance has been produced and training workshops have been delivered to all procurement staff in both the Department and NDPBs, on practical ways to implement this guidance.
	There is a requirement in all contracts for employees to have skills appropriate for the job, and clauses on basic skills and skill development are included when appropriate. A requirement for apprenticeship places in included in our standard terms and conditions, and the number of apprenticeship places secured through contracts is monitored at regular intervals.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what  (a) steps he is taking to encourage small businesses to bid for contracts let by his Department and  (b) recent guidance he has provided to small businesses on bidding for such contracts.

Tim Loughton: The Department fully complies with the package of support to open up Government procurement to help small and medium-sized enterprises and third sector organisations recently announced by the Cabinet Office.
	This includes streamlining the procurement process to remove unnecessary bureaucracy and waste, improving the transparency of public procurement opportunities and ensuring the timely payment by contractors to sub-contractors.
	In addition to those measures, my Department already advertises all suitable contracts on the supply2gov website (a website aimed at SMEs), flags up any contract advert placed in the  Official Journal of the European Union if there may be sub-contracting opportunities for SMEs, uses simplified contractual documentation, encourages innovation through output based specifications, splitting requirements into smaller lots, encourages the use of consortia, publicises tender documents on Contracts Finder and supports new businesses through flexibility on qualifying documentation, e.g. financial accounts.
	Our external website contains guidance on bidding for business which includes how to prepare a tender, tender evaluation, debriefing, departmental model terms and conditions, prompt payment policy and promotes the 'Winning the Contract' on-line course for small businesses.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Northumberland

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of students in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) Northumberland that will be affected by the ending of the education maintenance allowance scheme.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 17 November 2010:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ22932:
	Information on the number of young people who have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at Local Authority Level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	The 2010/11 take-up for Northumberland Local Authority area shows that at 31st October 2010 there were 3,059 young people in receipt of EMA.
	From 2011/12, Education Maintenance Allowances will be replaced by an enhanced learner support fund that will be administered by schools and colleges themselves, targeting those young people who face a real financial barrier to participation. The number of young people who benefit from these new arrangements will reflect local decisions so it is not possible to judge how many will receive financial support in future.
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

Foster Care: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people in  (a) Easington constituency,  (b) the North East and  (c) England are (i) foster parents and (ii) registered for fostering.

Tim Loughton: Ofsted's data set (based on around an 80% return from local authority and independent fostering service providers) estimated that on 31 March 2009 there were 33,008 approved fostering households in England. During 2008-09 there was a net increase of 1,005 households. A fostering household may consist of a single foster carer or a fostering couple.
	Data on the number of foster carers with a child in placement are not collected centrally. On 31 March 2010, 47,200 children were looked after in a foster placement (73% of all looked-after children)(1).
	Data on the number of fostering households, and on the number of foster carers with a child in placement, are not centrally collected by constituency or by region. Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient placements to meet the needs of the looked-after children in their area.
	(1) Source:
	Statistical First Release for year ending 31 March 2010.

Free Schools

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications his Department has received from  (a) teachers,  (b) parents and  (c) charitable groups wishing to establish a free school.

Nick Gibb: To date, the Department has received over 180 proposals to set up free schools.
	Proposals come from a diverse range of groups. We do not, however, require proposers to categorise themselves as either teachers, parents or charitable groups.
	Even if we were to do so, such information would be misleading as these categories are not mutually exclusive.

Health Education: Sex

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2010,  Official Report, column 728W, on health education: sex and his contribution of 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 973, on funding and schools reform, whether sex and relationships education is  (a) part of the national curriculum and  (b) within the scope of the curriculum review.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 December 2010
	Both primary and secondary schools must deliver the statutory science curriculum which includes age appropriate information on human biology; this is part of the national curriculum. In addition secondary schools are required to provide sex education as part of the basic curriculum which must include education about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. However, all schools are encouraged to provide a broad programme of sex and relationships education (SRE) through non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the response given on 30 November 2010,  Official Report, column 728W, which explains that SRE will not be within scope of the national curriculum review and that we intend to conduct an internal review to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of all PSHE teaching.

Health Visitors: Finance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the Government's plans for new funding for Sure Start health visitors proposed in the comprehensive spending review.

Sarah Teather: Ministers meet regularly to discuss a range of issues. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and I have had meetings to discuss the Government's commitment to recruit 4,200 new health visitors, and officials in the Department for Education and the Department of Health are working together closely.

Martyn Rose of the Big Society Network

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the  (a) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families and  (b) his officials have had (i) discussions and (ii) correspondence with Martyn Rose of the Big Society Network since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 December 2010
	On 18 October 2010 Mr Martyn Rose attended a National Citizen Service Ministerial steering group to discuss external support for the NCS programme. At the meeting, Mr Rose offered to explore how potential NCS sponsors could be best encouraged to organise any contributions to the NCS programme during the pilot year. An initial proposal was shared with the Department for consideration on 26 November, and the Department has yet to respond.
	There is no record of any further written correspondence between Mr Rose and the Department between May 2010 and now.
	Tim Loughton and Mr Rose met for dinner on 23 June 2010 and 17 November 2010.

Nursery Schools: Finance

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for the future funding of nursery education.

Sarah Teather: Investment in the early years is absolutely critical in supporting child development. In his statement on the outcome of the spending review on 20 October 2010, the Chancellor announced that all three and four-year-olds would continue to receive 15 hours per week of free early education, and that, through an additional investment of £300 million, this would be extended to all disadvantaged two-year-olds by the end of the spending review period.
	We are reforming the way in which funding for nursery education is distributed, helping to make the market fairer and more equitable by introducing a locally agreed early years single funding formula (EYSFF), from April 2011, to be applied transparently across schools and the wider early years sector. We will be consulting on the future of school funding, including whether to introduce a national funding formula, in spring 2011. As part of that consultation, we will also seek views on funding early years provision.
	Further announcements will be made about funding for other aspects of government support to nurseries shortly as part of wider announcements on local authority funding. This includes the support local authorities provide to providers to drive improvements in quality and secure sufficient child care provision.
	The Government also provide support to parents who need to purchase additional child care to enable them to work through subsidies to parents through child tax credit, tax relief on employer supported child care vouchers.

Outdoor Recreational Activities: Disability

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the provision of outdoor recreational activities for disabled young people; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Local authorities are responsible, under the general equality duty contained in the Disability Discrimination Act, to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, encourage participation by disabled people and take steps to account of disabled people's disabilities in respect of the services that they provide-so in providing such services as outdoor recreational activities, local authorities should be considering the needs of the disabled children that use them.
	Over time, the National Citizen Service will give all 16-year-olds the opportunity to take part in a structured programme and develop the skills needed to be active and responsible citizens, mix with people from different backgrounds, get involved and do something positive in their communities. This will include a week long residential experience where young people will participate in a series of outdoor challenges. We are working closely with pilot providers to ensure that barriers to participation are removed and that young people with disabilities are supported to participate fully.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking as part of his Department's review of personal, social health and economic education to improve financial advice and education for young people.

Tim Loughton: We firmly believe that all young people should benefit from high-quality Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) education, which includes financial capability. Our aim for the PSHE review is to determine how we can support schools to improve the quality of all PSHE teaching, including giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE education. We will set out more details about the review in due course.

Playgrounds: Capital Investment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for capital expenditure on children's playgrounds after the end of the Play Pathfinder funding scheme period in 2011.

Sarah Teather: The Government acknowledge how important it is that children and families have safe, free local places to play and also recognise the benefits these places bring to the wider community more generally.
	However, the fiscal position that Government have inherited means that difficult decisions have to be taken to tackle the deficit. The Department has no plans in the next spending review period to fund a central capital programme dedicated to improving play facilities. It will be for each local authority, with its local partners, to determine its own local priorities.
	For the future, Government want to move control over local expenditure away from the centre, so that decisions on what gets built where are taken locally, to make the most of the limited resource available.
	One of the big successes of the current play programme has been the involvement of community groups in helping to improve the availability and quality of local play areas, and we want this level of community engagement to continue. This should provide an opportunity for children and young people, committed individuals and local groups to continue to influence the development of play facilities in their areas.

Private Education: Pupil Numbers

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils in (i) Reading East constituency and (ii) England attended independent schools in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The available information is shown in the following table. Since information for independent schools is only collected at school level, it is not possible to give figures for the number of pupils resident in a particular area attending independent schools.
	
		
			  Independent schools( 1) : number and percentage of pupils aged 5 to 10 and 11 to 15( 2,3) 
			  Position in January each year 2006 to 2010 
			   Reading East parliamentary constituency  England 
			   Pupils aged 5 to 10  Pupils aged 11 to 15  Pupils aged 5 to 10  Pupils aged 11 to 15 
			   Number  Percentage( 4)  Number  Percentage( 4)  Number  Percentage( 4)  Number  Percentage( 4) 
			 2006 540 8.7 1,310 24.9 200,440 5.5 233,820 7.2 
			 2007 500 8.2 1,310 24.9 199,030 5.6 232,620 7.3 
			 2008 490 8.2 1,280 25.2 198,480 5.6 233,710 7.4 
			 2009 450 7.6 1,290 25.6 196,620 5.6 233,970 7.5 
			 2010 490 8.2 1,300 25.7 192,400 5.5 234,110 7.6 
			 (1) Excludes city technology colleges and academies. (2) Age as at 31 August in previous year (start of academic year). (3) Information given is the number of pupils attending independent schools in Reading East parliamentary constituency and England, and not those that are resident in the constituency or England. (4) Number of pupils in independent schools expressed as a percentage of number of pupils in same age group across all schools (excludes dually registered pupils).  Source: School Census

Pupils: Bullying

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department holds figures on the number of cases of  (a) attempted suicide and  (b) suicide among children and young people which are attributed to bullying.

Tim Loughton: The Office for National Statistics publishes death registration data, which includes data on the number of suicides of children and young people. However, only the medical cause of death is reported, not the reason behind the incident, which is not always known and may be subject to further investigation after the registration of the death. We cannot therefore determine how many deaths registered as suicide are associated with bullying.
	Similarly, the national health service records information about the medical cause of a hospital admission through its hospital episode statistics. Information about the reason behind an incident, however, may not be known at the time of this recording, which means all attempted suicides are recorded as an admission due to intentional self-harm. In the 12 months proceeding October 2009, the most recent figures available, 12,279 children and young people aged 0-17 were admitted to hospital in England having self-harmed.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding per school pupil in the maintained sector was in England in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The available information on funding per school pupil in the maintained sector in England in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Combined LEA and school based expenditure per pupil from 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			  England  Expenditure per pupil (£) 
			 2004-05 4,140 
			 2005-06 4,450 
			 2006-07 4,710 
			 2007-08 5,050 
			 2008-09 5,340

Schools: Inspections

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools received a classification of outstanding in Ofsted reports in  (a) each constituency in Cumbria,  (b) the North West and  (c) England in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 December 2010
	This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her response has been place in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 30 November 2010:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	During the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Ofsted records all judgements made by inspectors in section 5 inspections, including the judgement for overall effectiveness of the school.
	In 2008/09 and 2009/10 maintained schools inspected under the section 5 framework include nursery, primary, secondary (including academies and city technology colleges), special schools and pupil referral units.
	In Cumbria there were 96 maintained school inspections in 2008/09, of which 7 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness. In 2009/10 there were 104 maintained school inspections, of which 11 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness. Table A below shows this information by parliamentary constituency.
	In the North West government office region there were 1,003 maintained school inspections in 2008/09, of which 216 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness. In 2009/10 there were 898 maintained school inspections, of which 116 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness.
	In 2008/09 there were 7,065 maintained school inspections in England, of which 1,327 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness. In 2009/10 there were 6,171 maintained schools inspections, of which 782 schools inspected were judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness.
	Ofsted releases the outcomes of maintained school inspections as official statistics three times a year on the website. Statistics covering the outcomes of maintained school inspections carried out during 2009/10 were released on 23 November and can be accessed at:
	www.ofsted.gov.uk
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of schools in Cumbria, North West and England where the overall effectiveness judgment was found to be outstanding in academic years 2008/09 and 2009/10 
			   Schools overall effectiveness graded 'outstanding'  Total inspections 
			   2008/09  2009/10  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Barrow and Furness 0 3 11 16 
			 Carlisle 0 0 7 13 
			 Copeland 2 2 18 17 
			 Penrith and the Border 1 1 20 25 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale 1 4 15 17 
			 Workington 3 1 25 16 
			 Cumbria total 7 11 96 104 
			  
			 North West 216 116 1,003 898 
			  
			 England 1,327 782 7,065 (1)6,171 
			 (1) There were 6,172 inspections in the 2009/10 academic year, One primary school is excluded from this analysis because its inspection report is currently withheld from publication.

Schools: Management

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to set upper and lower limits for pupil numbers in free schools; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Free schools, like academies, have the flexibility in making a wide range of decisions. Free schools will have the freedom in deciding the number of pupils in the school. Free schools must have a minimum of five pupils of compulsory school age. the upper limit of pupils in a free school will be dependent on the size of the school.

Sure Start Programme: Disability

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to refocus Sure Start on improving the life chances of disadvantaged children since the announcement of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.

Sarah Teather: The comprehensive spending review settlement reflected the Government's commitment to Sure Start. It has been protected in cash terms, including new investment in health visitors. This includes retaining a national network of children's centres with a core universal offer while also ensuring they deliver proven early intervention programmes to support families in the greatest need.
	As set out in my Department's Business Plan, we are:
	developing a Sure Start children's centres reform programme, by March 2011;
	working with local authorities to develop a plan to increase voluntary and community sector involvement within Sure Start children's centres, improve accountability arrangements, increase the use of evidence-based interventions and introduce greater payment by results by March 2011;
	introducing a new Early Intervention Grant to provide local authorities with the funding they need to support Sure Start and other intervention programmes, by June 2011.

Teachers: Qualifications

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of newly-qualified science teachers have  (a) a degree,  (b) an upper second class degree or higher,  (c) a degree in a science subject and  (d) an upper second class degree or higher in a science subject.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is not currently held centrally as the data available does not separate newly qualified teachers nor provide information on the class of teachers' degree qualifications.
	The most relevant data available in answer to parts  (a) and  (c) of the question are taken from the Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing survey (SSCSS) in 2007(1) and are provided in the following tables. Table 1 gives the numbers and proportions of all science teachers of year groups 7-13 by level of qualification (in any subject). Table 2 gives the numbers and proportions of all science teachers by level of qualification in the subject they taught to year groups 7-13. The same information is provided for maths and English teachers as a comparison.
	(1) http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR026.pdf
	
		
			  Table 1: Highest post A-level qualifications( 1)  held by full-time equivalent secondary school teachers( 2)  of year groups 7-13 in England 2007 
			   Highest post A-level qualification in any subject  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Any post A-level qual.  No. of teachers 
			  % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % Thousand 
			 Combined/General science 61 ± 2 6 ± 1 15 ± 2 1 ± 0 2 ± 1 16 ± 2 84 32.1 
			 Biology(4) 85 ± 3 5 ± 2 4 ± 2 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 3 ± 2 97 8.9 
			 Chemistry(4) 83 ± 2 4 ± 2 8 ± 2 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 4 ± 2 96 8.0 
			 Physics(4) 75 ± 5 7 ± 3 9 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 2 7 ± 3 93 7.3 
			 Other sciences(4) 73 ± 6 7 ± 2 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 3 ± 2 10 ± 6 90 5.0 
			 Mathematics 54 ± 2 10 ± 1 14 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 16 ± 2 84 30.8 
			 English 71 ± 2 9 ± 2 5 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 0 11 ± 3 89 32.8 
			 All subjects(3,5) 59 ± 2 10 ± 2 9 ± 1 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 17 ± 2 83 214.3 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.  (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.  (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.  (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.  (5) "Other" not included in total percentages.  (6) The confidence intervals provide an indication of the accuracy of the percentage estimate.   Source:  Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2007. Base: 214,270 teachers. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 : Highest post A-level qualifications( 1)  held by full-time equivalent teachers  in the subjects( 2)  they taught to  year groups 7-13 in England 2007 
			   Highest post A-level qualification in  the subject taught  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Any post A-level qual.  No. of teachers 
			  % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % ± CI(6) % Thousand 
			 Combined/General science 58 ± 2 5 ± 1 15 ± 2 1 ± 0 2 ± 1 19 ± 2 81 32.1 
			 Biology(4) 85 ± 3 5 ± 2 4 ± 2 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 4 ± 2 96 8.9 
			 Chemistry(4) 83 ± 2 4 ± 2 7 ± 2 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 4 ± 2 96 8.0 
			 Physics(4) 72 ± 4 6 ± 2 8 ± 3 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 10 ± 3 90 7.3 
			 Other sciences(4) 39 ± 5 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 4 ± 2 53 ± 5 47 5.0 
			 Mathematics 47 ± 2 9 ± 1 14 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 25 ± 2 75 30.8 
			 English 62 ± 2 9 ± 1 5 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 0 21 ± 2 79 32.8 
			 All subjects(3,5) 43 ± 1 7 ± 0 7 ± 0 1 ± 0 2 ± 0 38 ± 1 62 214.3 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.  (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.  (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.  (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.  (5) "Other" not included in total percentages.  (6) The confidence intervals provide an indication of the accuracy of the percentage estimate.   Source:  Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2007. Base: 214,270 teachers. 
		
	
	Regarding part  (b) of the question, the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for Schools holds information on the degree classification of final year trainee teachers who have gained qualified teacher status (QTS). In the academic year 2008/09, 88% of all final year trainees specialising in science who gained QTS via mainstream courses held a 2:2 or above in their first degree, 91% of those who gained QTS via employment based routes held a 2:2 or above. Table 3 provides the numbers and percentages of final year trainees who have gained QTS specialising in science, by classification of their first degree.
	
		
			  Table 3: Postgraduate initial teacher training courses: Final year trainees who have gained QTS specialising in science by classification of their first degree, Years: 2004/05 to 2008/09, Coverage: England 
			   Mainstream courses 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 1st 210 230 230 200 230 10.0 10.1 10.3 9.3 10.7 
			 2:1 900 990 990 960 950 43.1 43.9 43.8 44.3 43.5 
			 2:2 700 780 810 730 740 33.2 34.8 35.8 33.7 33.8 
			 Third 170 140 130 150 140 8.1 6.1 5.9 7.1 6.5 
			 Pass 70 60 50 80 70 3.2 2.7 2.4 3.7 3.1 
			 Total with 2:1 and above 1,110 1,220 1,220 1,160 1,180 53.1 54.0 54.1 53.7 54.2 
			 Total with 2:2 and above 1,810 2,000 2,030 1,890 1,920 86.3 88.7 89.9 87.3 88.0 
			 Unclassified 50 60 40 40 50 2.3 2.5 1.8 1.8 2.4 
			 Total 2,090 2,250 2,250 2,160 2,180 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			   Employment based courses 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 1st 40 50 50 60 60 10.7 13.0 12.2 15.5 14.4 
			 2:1 160 160 200 160 190 40.1 41.7 48.3 44.8 48.2 
			 2:2 110 120 100 100 110 28.2 30.0 24.4 27.6 28.0 
			 Third 30 30 30 20 20 7.6 6.4 6.5 6.6 4.0 
			 Pass 50 30 40 20 20 13.5 8.7 8.6 5.5 5.3 
			 Total with 2:1 and above 200 220 250 220 250 50.8 54.7 60.5 60.2 62.6 
			 Total with 2:2 and above 310 330 360 320 360 78.9 84.7 84.9 87.8 90.7 
			 Unclassified 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Total 390 390 420 360 400 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  Notes:  1. Includes final year trainees who have gained QTS via postgraduate initial teacher training courses.  2. Includes those with UK degree on entry.  3. Selects those trainees specialising in science. 4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  TDA's Performance Profiles. 
		
	
	In future more complete information will be available centrally from the new School Workforce Census. The census will collect annual information on the qualifications of all teachers in maintained secondary schools in England, the subjects that they are teaching and an indicator, which will enable us to determine whether they are a newly qualified teacher. The first full collection of the census is currently under way and the findings are due to be published in April 2011.

Teachers: Qualifications

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of newly-qualified mathematics teachers have  (a) a degree,  (b) an upper second class degree or higher,  (c) a degree in mathematics and  (d) an upper second class degree or higher in mathematics.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is not currently held centrally as the data available do not separate newly qualified teachers nor provide information on the class of teachers' degree qualifications.
	The most relevant data available in answer to parts  (a) and  (c) of the question are taken from the Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing survey (SSCSS) in 2007(1) and is provided in the following tables. Table 1 gives the numbers and proportions of all maths teachers of year groups 7-13 by level of qualification (in any subject). Table 2 gives the numbers and proportions of all maths teachers by level of qualification in the subject they taught to year groups 7-13. The same information is provided for Combined/General Science and English teachers as a comparison.
	(1) http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR026.pdf
	
		
			  Table 1: Highest post A-level qualifications( 1,2)  held by full-time equivalent secondary school teachers of year groups 7-13 in England 2007 
			   Highest post A-level qualification in any subject  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Any post A- level qual. (%)  
			   %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)   No. of teachers (thousand) 
			 Mathematics 54 ± 2 10 ± 1 14 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 16 ± 2 84 30.8 
			 Combined/General science(4) 61 ± 2 6 ± 1 15 ± 2 1 ± 0 2 ± 1 16 ± 2 84 32.1 
			 English 71 ± 2 9 ± 2 5 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 0 11 ± 3 89 32.8 
			 All subjects(3,5) 59 ± 2 10 ± 2 9 ± 1 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 17 ± 2 83 214.3 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5)'Other' not included in total percentages. (6) The confidence intervals provide an indication of the accuracy of the percentage estimate.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2007 Base: 214,270 teachers 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Highest post A-level qualifications( 1)  held by full-time equivalent teachers in the subjects( 2)  they taught to year groups 7-13 in England 2007 
			   Highest post A-level qualification  in the subject taught  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other qual.  No qual.  Any post A- level qual. (%)  
			   %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)  %  ±CI( 6)   No. of teachers (thousand) 
			 Mathematics 47 ± 2 9 ± 1 14 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 25 ± 2 75 30.8 
			 Combined/General science(4) 58 ± 2 5 ± 1 15 ± 2 1 ± 0 2 ± 1 19 ± 2 81 32.1 
			 English 62 ± 2 9 ± 1 5 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 0 21 ± 2 79 32.8 
			 All subjects(3,5) 43 ± 1 7 ± 0 7 ± 0 1 ± 0 2 ± 0 38 ± 1 62 214.3 
			 (1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) 'Other' not included in total percentages. (6) The confidence intervals provide an indication of the accuracy of the percentage estimate.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2007 Base: 214,270 teachers 
		
	
	Regarding part  (b) of the question, the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for Schools holds information on the degree classification of final year trainee teachers who have gained qualified teacher status (QTS). In the academic year 2008/2009, 81% of all final year trainees specialising in maths who gained QTS via mainstream courses held a 2:2 or above in their first degree, 78% of those who gained QTS via employment based routes held a 2:2 or above. Table 3 provides the numbers and percentages of final year trainees who have gained QTS specialising in maths, by classification of their first degree.
	
		
			  Postgraduate initial teacher training courses: Final year trainees who have gained QTS specialising in Maths by classification of their first degree. Years: 2004/05 to 2008/09. Coverage: England 
			   Mainstream  courses 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 1st 170 210 190 180 170 12.4 14.9 13.0 14.4 13.1 
			 2:1 460 470 490 440 460 33.3 33.6 34.6 35.9 34.6 
			 2:2 480 440 500 400 470 34.7 31.3 35.1 32.5 35.3 
			 Third 160 160 150 120 110 11.2 11.1 10.7 9.4 8.4 
			 Pass 80 70 60 50 60 6.0 4.9 3.9 3.9 4.8 
			 Total with 2:1 and above 640 680 680 620 630 45.8 48.6 47.6 50.3 47.8 
			 Total with 2:2 and above 1,120 1,110 1,170 1,010 1,090 80.5 79.8 82.7 82.8 83.1 
			 Unclassified 30 60 40 50 50 2.2 4.2 2.6 3.8 3.8 
			 Total 1,390 1,390 1,420 1,220 1,320 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			   Employment based courses 
			   Number  Percentage 
			   2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 1st 40 50 50 40 50 13.1 16.0 17.7 13.9 15.6 
			 2:1 90 100 90 110 110 32.5 34.9 33.2 37.9 37.1 
			 2:2 80 80 80 80 80 28.8 28.8 27.7 26.8 26.9 
			 Third 30 30 30 20 30 9.9 8.9 9.2 7.5 8.5 
			 Pass 40 30 30 40 30 15.7 9.6 12.2 13.9 11.6 
			 Total with 2:1 and above 130 140 140 150 160 45.6 50.9 50.9 51.8 52.7 
			 Total with 2:2 and above 200 220 210 220 230 74.5 79.7 78.6 78.6 79.6 
			 Unclassified 0 10 0 0 0 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.3 
			 Total 270 280 270 280 290 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
			  Notes: 1. Includes final year trainees who have gained QTS via postgraduate initial teacher training courses. 2. Includes those with UK degree on entry. 3. Selects those trainees specialising in Maths 4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: TDA's Performance Profiles 
		
	
	In future more complete information will be available centrally from the new School Workforce Census. The census will collect annual information on the qualifications of all teachers in maintained secondary schools in England, the subjects that they are teaching and an indicator, which will enable us to determine whether they are a newly qualified teacher. The first full collection of the census is currently under way and the findings are due to be published in April 2011.

Teachers: Qualifications

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of entrants to Postgraduate Certificate of Education courses had  (a) a first class degree,  (b) an upper second class degree,  (c) a lower second class degree,  (d) a third class degree and  (e) lower than a third class degree in the last year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The number and percentage of first year trainees on postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) courses by the classification of their first degree is given in the following table. This information is provided for the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			  Proportion of postgraduate trainees in their first year of ITT courses by classification of first degree, year: 2008/09 
			  Coverage: England 
			   Mainstream  Employment based 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 Total with 2:1 and above 12,990 60.8 3,070 59.6 
			 Total with 2:2 and above 19,770 92.6 4,670 90.6 
			 1(st) 1,850 8.6 510 9.9 
			 2:1 11,150 52.2 2,560 49.7 
			 2:2 6,780 31.7 1,590 30.9 
			 3 680 3.2 210 4.1 
			 Pass 460 2.2 280 5.4 
			 Unclassified 440 2.1 * * 
			 Total 21,360 100.0 5,150 100.0 
			 "*" = less than 5 or a rate based on less than 5.  Notes: 1. First year entrants to post graduate ITT courses. Includes universities and other Higher Education Institutions, SCITT and Open University and employment based routes. 2. Classification of first UK degree only. 3. Unclassified includes cases where degree class was undefined or unknown. 4. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: TDA's Performance Profiles

Teachers: Training

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training his Department plans to provide to non-specialist primary school teachers in respect of  (a) physical education and  (b) after school clubs after April 2011.

Tim Loughton: The Department confirmed in February 2010 that there will be 18,640 primary initial teacher training places in 2010/11. We are currently considering the position for future years.
	All primary trainees must demonstrate that they have met the requirements of the Qualified Teacher Status standards before being awarded that status. Trainees must know and understand the relevant statutory and non-statutory curricula and frameworks for their subjects and curriculum areas, and other relevant information applicable to the age and ability range for which they are trained.
	We are committed to improving the quality and status of teaching which will include improving the quality and rigour of initial teacher training. We also want to establish a strong culture of professional development where schools think actively about how their staff contribute to pupils' achievement and teachers take responsibility for leading their own and others' development by sharing effective practice. Further details on both of these points will be set out in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Teachers: Training

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedure a school wishing to become a training school will be required to follow.

Nick Gibb: In the White Paper "The Importance of Teaching" we announced our intention to bring together the training school and national teaching school models to create a new national network of teaching schools from September 2011. We will make an announcement about schools which can apply to become teaching schools shortly.
	In the meantime, any schools wishing to express an interest in applying for the new designation should register their interest with the national college at:
	teachingschoolsenquiries@nationalcollege.org.uk

Teachers: Vacancies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many unfilled teaching vacancies at  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school level there were in (i) Cumbria and (ii) England in each year since 1979.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 December 2010
	 The following table provides the full-time teacher vacancies in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Cumbria local authority and England in each January, 1979 to 2010.
	
		
			  Teacher vacancies in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools. Each January 1979 to 2010. Coverage: Cumbria local authority and England 
			   Cumbria local authority  England 
			   Nursery and primary  Secondary  Nursery and primary  Secondary 
			 1979(1) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1980(1) n/a n/a n/a 3,310 
			 1981(1) n/a n/a n/a 2,060 
			 1982(1) n/a n/a n/a 2,060 
			 1983(1) n/a n/a n/a 1,840 
			 1984(2) n/a n/a n/a 1,830 
			 1985(2) n/a n/a n/a 1,900 
			 1986(2) n/a n/a n/a 2,400 
			 1987(2) n/a n/a n/a 2,510 
			 1988(2) n/a n/a 2,400 2,000 
			 1989(2) n/a n/a 3,120 2,420 
			 1990(2) n/a n/a 3,720 2,780 
			 1991(2) 16 15 3,250 1,980 
			 1992(2) 0 0 1,070 820 
			 1993(2) 2 0 790 550 
			 1994(2) 1 0 760 620 
			 1995(2) 1 1 790 520 
			 1996(2) 2 1 860 590 
			 1997(2) 0 4 1,090 730 
			 1998(2) 1 1 1,390 970 
			 1999(2) 0 2 1,370 940 
			 2000(2) 0 0 1,420 1,250 
			 2001(2) 4 2 2,110 2,590 
			 2002(2) 8 8 1,800 2,450 
			 2003(2) 3 6 1,110 2,050 
			 2004(2) 5 2 790 1,660 
			 2005(2) 1 9 740 1,550 
			 2006(2) 2 5 710 1,340 
			 2007(2) 1 2 660 1,210 
			 2008(2) 3 4 870 1,470 
			 2009(2) 3 8 760 1,310 
			 2010(2) n/a n/a 630 830 
			 n/a = Not available (1) Between 1979 and 1983 vacancies have been included for full-time permanent appointments including appointments for at least one term's duration. (2) Advertised vacancies for full-time permanent appointments (or appointments of at least one term's duration). Includes vacancies being filled on a temporary basis of less than one term.  Note: England figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Form 618g

Written Questions: Government Responses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to Question  (a) 27202, on the Schools Sports Partnership, tabled on 24 November,  (b) 27204, on school sports, tabled on 24 November,  (c) 26598, on the Schools Sports Partnerships, tabled on 22 November and  (d) 26599 on funding for the Schools Sports Partnership, tabled on 22 November; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply in each case.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 13 December 2010
	I apologise for delay in answering these PQs. PQ replies have been temporarily delayed due to the sharp rise in quantity of PQs received in this specific policy area and the heavy demand on existing resources to enable the PQs to be processed to meet deadline. I can confirm that PQ 26599 and 27203 have now been replied to on 16 December 2010,  Official Report, column 859W and 10 January 2011,  Official Report, column 92W, respectively. However, 26598 has been withdrawn so we are unable to provide a response to this PQ.
	We aim to reply to all outstanding PQs shortly.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to Question 29706, on Questions tabled for answer on a named day, tabled on 6 December 2010 for answer on 9 December 2010.

Tim Loughton: A response to PQ29706 was issued to the hon. Member on 13 January 2011,  Official Report, column 446W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29707, on questions tabled for named day answer, tabled on 6 December 2010 for named day answer on 9 December 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 December 2010
	 A response to PQ29707 was issued to the hon. Member on 20 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1064W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29330, on RM, on 2 December 2010 and for named day answer on 7 December 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 December 2010
	 A response to PQ29330 was issued to the hon. Member on 14 December 2010,  Official Report, column 735W.

Youth Services: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for future funding for youth centres; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 12 January 2010
	 The Government have committed £134 million over 2011-13 to complete the myplace programme of capital investment in 69 youth centres. Alongside this, we have given local authorities the freedoms and flexibilities to determine how future funding is best used to meet the needs of their communities and to use their local knowledge to make efficient investments in facilities that can make a real difference to the lives of their young people. This may include making better use of existing buildings such as Children's Centres and community buildings for youth work at times that suit young people.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Banks: Incentives

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which occasions he has discussed with the chief executives of  (a) Royal Bank of Scotland Group,  (b) Lloyds Banking Group and  (c) Barclays (i) the bonuses paid to their staff and (ii) their personal bonus since 1 December 2010.

Mark Prisk: Ministers meet bank executives on a range of issues and that it is not the Governments practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Banks: Loans

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to establish targets for banks in the area of business support; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: We have been working closely with the main UK banks through the British Bankers Association to ensure they deliver the commitments made as part of their response to the Government's Green Paper "Financing a Private Sector Recovery". I welcome the work so far from the banks, particularly the commitment to support a network of mentors for small businesses, the funding of new independent survey of business lending and the £1.5 billion Business Growth Fund for growing small and mid-sized businesses. In addition the coalition agreement stated that Government would consider net lending agreements among other options in order to ensure access to finance for viable businesses. This remains the case.

Banks: Loans

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of loan facilities for small businesses.

Mark Prisk: SME lending data collected by BIS shows that demand for credit remains at historically low levels. However, the large majority of SME applications for finance are successful. The Government continues to monitor the situation closely, and have conversations with both small business representatives and banks on this issue-through channels such as the Small Business Economic Forum.
	While continuing to encourage lending to viable SMEs, the Government have agreed lending commitments with RBS and Lloyds which will be in place up until March 2011. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Osborne) has confirmed that he is currently in discussions with the major banks to ensure that they lend materially and verifiably more than they were planning to the businesses of Britain-especially the small businesses-so that they can grow and create jobs this year.
	In addition, over £1.3 billion of loans have been offered to SMEs through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, which has been extended to 2014-15, with £600 million available this year.

Banks: Loans

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will consider in his review of banking in the UK the effect on lending availability in the Northern Ireland market of  (a) the restricted number of banking providers and  (b) the effects on that market of the situation of banks operating in the market which are headquartered in the Republic of Ireland.

Mark Prisk: The Government have set up the Independent Commission on Banking to review the structure of the UK banking sector and address financial stability and competition. The Commission is due to present a final report of independent recommendations to the Government in September.
	We need to see more competition in the banking sector and foster greater choice. Specifically, the OFT's recent review of barriers to entry, exit and expansion in retail banking found that
	"brand loyalty to incumbent national brands in Scotland and Northern Ireland may be greater than elsewhere in the UK"(1).
	The Independent Commission will take into account the findings of previous investigations into competition in markets for financial services, including the OFT report mentioned above.
	We are in discussions with the banks to see if we can reach an agreement whereby banks treat customers fairly, and commit to lend materially and verifiably more than they were planning to the businesses of Britain-especially small businesses, across all the regions-so that they can grow and create jobs.
	The effects on the market specifically relating to banks headquartered in the Republic of Ireland are not within the scope of the terms of reference established last summer by the Independent Commission on Banking. However, these terms of reference state that the Commission will formulate policy recommendations with a view
	"reducing systemic risk in the banking sector, exploring the risk posed by banks of different size, scale and function".
	The Government will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ireland in-line with the action and assistance package which was announced by the Chancellor last November.
	(1) The Competition Commission also carried out a market investigation into Personal Current Accounts in Northern Ireland in 2007.

Business: Females

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of women entrepreneurs in the South East.

Mark Prisk: The coalition Government are committed to making this decade the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in our history.
	We believe that aspiration needs to be raised amongst women to ensure that they see starting a business as a viable career option. This will best be achieved longer term by embedding enterprise awareness in mainstream education.
	The Government are also currently reforming the way in which start-ups and existing businesses access the support and information that they need. We are establishing a modern, streamlined and efficient system of providing information and guidance to all.
	More information on the Government's position is available at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/enterprise/docs/b/11-515-bigger-better-business-helping-small-firms.pdf

Business: Internet

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to facilitate the growth of small and medium-sized businesses which are dependent on the internet for their sales growth.

Mark Prisk: As part of the transformational ICT pilot programme, BIS has been testing a number of business support options in different regions to identify and address issues that deter SMEs from adopting digital technology and hence fail to benefit from the productivity and competitiveness benefits it offers.
	As a result, we have identified a need to provide tools to up-skill SMEs and enable them to be "intelligent customers". We are now looking into the scope for developing a number of tools, such as a business IT guide, training modules and a diagnostic tool to be delivered nationally online to encourage SMEs to integrate the web and associated internet e-commerce activities across all parts of their business.
	There are also a number of private initiatives to help SMEs, including Google's 'Getting British Business Online'. This collaboration between Google, Enterprise UK, BT, and e-skills UK, with the support of this Department, aims to help small businesses create their first website and understand the opportunities offered by the internet. Over 100,000 UK organisations have already been helped to set up their first website easily and for free. The initiative includes help for businesses on how to market on the web and use search engine optimisation to increase the number of customer visits to their website.
	More generally, we are focusing our resources on improving small business performance and growth by investing in a universal service for all businesses, including those operating online. The new service will be delivered via the web and a contact centre, and changes include modernising the provision of online information so web-connected businesses can access what they need, when they need it.

Business: Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to exempt small businesses from employment regulations.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is leading and co-ordinating a long term project across Whitehall looking at all areas of employment legislation in all the relevant Departments to ensure that employment laws provide the flexibility that businesses need to grow without compromising fairness to employees. I am mindful that small firms can experience difficulty in understanding and complying with employment legislation and the review will certainly consider such issues.

Business: Regulation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to amend employment laws affecting the smallest companies.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is leading and co-ordinating a long term project across Whitehall looking at all areas of employment legislation in all the relevant Departments. I am mindful that small firms can experience difficulty in complying with employment legislation and the review will certainly consider such issues.

EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what legal advice his Department has sought on the routine copying out of EU directives directly into UK law; whether this advice differs from previous legal advice obtained from within Government resources; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As a matter of routine, this Department is able to draw on legal advice as and when necessary. Details of any advice provided are confidential and attract Legal Professional Privilege.

EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations he consulted on his proposal to adopt as routine the practice of copying out the text of EU directives as a means of implementing them in UK law.

Mark Prisk: Under its Guiding Principles for EU legislation, the Government will use copy out for transposition where it is available, except where doing so would adversely affect UK interests. This will help implement the coalition commitment to end 'gold-plating' of EU rules, so that British businesses are not disadvantaged relative to their European competitors.

Export Credit Guarantees: Sudan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in respect of what projects in Sudan supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) in the last 30 years debt is owed to the ECGD.

Mark Prisk: Sudan defaulted on its external debts in the late 1970s and ECGD has no record of providing support for any projects since then.

Export Credit Guarantees: Sudan

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what  (a) interest and  (b) charges are added to the debt owed by Sudan to the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Mark Prisk: Sudan's external debts were rescheduled under four bilateral debt agreements between 1979 and 1984. No payments have been received since May 1984. The total interest that has accrued up to 31 December 2010 on the defaulted amount of £173 million is £491 million.
	Sudan is a heavily indebted poor country (HIPC) and it is the Government's policy not to seek payment of debts owed by HIPCs.

Exports: Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the amount generated by UK higher education institutions in export earnings  (a) in total,  (b) by each higher education institution as a proportion of the total and  (c) in total as a proportion of UK export earnings in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Universities UK have estimated the gross value of exports earnings by UK higher education institutions (HEIs) to be £2.7 billion in 1999/2000, £3.6 billion in 2003/04 and £5.3 billion in 2007/08.
	As a proportion of UK export earnings, these represent 1.0% in 1990/00, 1.2% in 2003/04 and 1.5% in 2007/08 of the total.
	Estimates for each HEI are not available.
	It should be noted that estimates of HE exports from Universities UK are not wholly consistent with total UK exports which are from official ONS statistics. When estimating the approximate UK shares, no adjustments have been made to account for methodological differences in the two sources.

Graduates

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that graduates have both practical and academic skills.

David Willetts: Close contact between employers and the higher education sector is crucial to ensuring that graduates gain the skills needed to enter their chosen fields within industry. For example, work experience opportunities provided by employers enable graduates to use their academic knowledge as well as gain practical and real life skills in a working environment.
	To promote this activity further, last summer the coalition asked all universities to introduce employability statements reflecting the importance of helping graduates ready for the world of work. We intend to build further on this work in forthcoming higher education White Paper.

Graduates: Disadvantaged

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many postgraduate research students in the UK who were British citizens received free school meals  (a) in total,  (b) as a proportion of the total number of British postgraduate research students in the UK,  (c) in each higher education institution (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of the total number of British postgraduate research students at each institution,  (d) by subject (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of the total number of British postgraduate research students of each subject and  (e) by institution by subject (i) in total and (ii) as a proportion of that total; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The data we hold only allow us to track the progression of school pupils to age 19. At this age, those individuals who have progressed to UK HE are unlikely to have reached postgraduate study and there were none in the latest data for 2007/08. There is no information giving a breakdown of postgraduate students by eligibility for free school meals when they were younger.

Graduates: Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of introducing a training wage for interns; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Government considered the proposal to introduce a training wage for interns mirroring the minimum wage rate for apprentices, but decided not to implement it.
	We recognise the importance of ensuring that those interns who are eligible to be paid receive at least the appropriate NMW rate. We are working to update our guidance on the payment of work experience and interns to ensure that individuals and employers are clear about their rights and responsibilities, as well as ensuring that enforcement continues to be effective.
	Internships have no legal definition and rarely result in a qualification. In this they differ from apprenticeships which are formal programmes of learning that result in recognised qualifications. It is much more difficult to work out who is genuinely an intern in different organisations and to make the case that interns are significantly different from other workers. The proposal for an interns' training wage does not fully acknowledge that some interns are already entitled to a minimum wage.

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 297-98W, on the Green Investment Bank, what asset sales the Government is considering to provide funding for the proposed Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: The Government have committed to using proceeds from some asset sales to complement the funding of £1 billion from departmental budgets for the Green Investment Bank (GIB), as set out in the spending review statement. It has not reached firm decisions about which asset sales will provide proceeds for the GIB.
	I am unable to provide commercially sensitive information on individual asset sales, including our expectations on the size of proceeds. The Government will be making further announcements on its assets sales programme in due course.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what  (a) governance and  (b) management structures for the operation of the Green Investment Bank he plans to establish.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) The governance mechanisms and business model will depend on the final design of the Green Investment Bank (GIB). The precise nature of the GIB is subject to further design and testing work with the proposals being evaluated for effectiveness, fiscal affordability and transparency.
	 (b) The GIB will make its investment decisions independent from political control and on a commercial basis and employ private sector skills and expertise.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Green Investment Bank will use for the allocation of funding to projects.

Mark Prisk: The Green Investment Bank's governance mechanisms and business model will depend on its final design. A framework will be developed in accordance with how funding allocations will be made, whilst leaving the GIB free from day-to-day ministerial interference.
	The GIB's investment mandate will be to deliver the Government's ambitions in economic growth; facilitate the transition to a green economy, and support the UK's industrial transformation. All GIB investments will be further guided by the Government's tests of effectiveness, affordability and transparency.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements he plans to make to fund the Green Investment Bank; and from which of his Department's budgets its funding will be drawn.

Mark Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the spending review statement. The Green Investment Bank (GIB) has a specific departmental expenditure limit of £1 billion, for spend in 2013-14. This funding is outside of any Department's own allocation.
	Additionally to the £1 billion, the GIB will also have significant funding from the proceeds of Government asset sales.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what processes the proposed Green Investment Bank will use to  (a) evaluate applications for funding and  (b) allocate funds.

Mark Prisk: The Green Investment Bank will be run on a commercial basis, employing appropriate private sector skills and expertise and free from ministerial interference in its day-to-day operations.

Growth Review

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the Growth Review to report; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The first phase of the Growth Review will report by Budget 2011.

Herbal Medicine: EU Law

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the  (a) Secretary of State for Health and  (b) European Commission on the effects on businesses of the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicines Directive.

Edward Davey: None.

Higher Education: Admissions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people from the four lowest socio-economic classes in Richmond Park constituency enrolled in UK higher education institutions in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The latest available socio-economic information on young full-time undergraduate entrants from Richmond Park constituency to UK higher education institutions is shown in the following table. Figures have been taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and are provided for the 2009/10 academic year. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from HESA in January 2012. Socio-economic class information is not available for part-time entrants to higher education.
	
		
			  Young( 1)  full-time undergraduate entrants from Richmond Park constituency( 2)  by socio-economic classification( 3) , UK higher education institutions 
			  Academic year 2009/10 
			  Socio-economic classification  Entrants 
			 Higher managerial and professional occupations 280 
			 Lower managerial and professional occupations 240 
			 Intermediate occupations 85 
			 Total higher 605 
			   
			 Small employers and own account workers 55 
			 Lower supervisory and technical occupations 15 
			 Semi-routine occupations 45 
			 Routine occupations 10 
			 Total lower 120 
			   
			 Missing(4) 145 
			 (1) Refers to entrants under the age of 21. (2) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (3) The socio-economic classification of young entrants is based on the classification of their parents. (4) Covers entrants whose socio-economic classification was never worked and long-term unemployed, missing or not classified: not classified includes occupations which were inadequately described, not classifiable or unstated.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Higher Education: Admissions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people normally resident in (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) England applied to attend university to start in academic year (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

David Willetts: The information is in the following tables and is provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and therefore mostly covers full-time undergraduate study.
	Data for 2010/11 represents applicants who had applied by 13 October 2010; end of year data will be available from 20 January 2011.
	
		
			  Applicants to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS 2010/11 
			  Location  Applicants 
			 Wallasey constituency 891 
			 Wirral local authority 3,253 
			 North West 68,611 
			 England 494,542 
			  Source: UCAS 
		
	
	Data for 2011/12 represents applicants who had applied by 20 December 2010. Applicants can apply via the main scheme up until the end of June and through clearing after this. UCAS will release the next set of data on applicants for 2011/12 on 31 January 2011.
	
		
			  Applicants to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS 2011/12 
			  Location  Applicants 
			 Wallasey constituency 451 
			 Wirral local authority 1,911 
			 North West 38,223 
			 England 268,117 
			  Source: UCAS

Higher Education: Admissions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of those who applied to university from  (a) Wallasey constituency,  (b) the Wirral borough council area,  (c) the North West and  (d) England did not gain a university place in (i) academic year 2010-11 and (ii) each of the previous five academic years.

David Willetts: The information is in the following table and is provided by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and therefore mostly covers full-time undergraduate study.
	Applicants who were not accepted for entry can include:
	individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university;
	individuals who received a conditional offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and
	individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
	
		
			  Proportion of applicants to courses at UK institutions via UCAS who were unplaced 2006/07 to 2010/11 
			  Percentage 
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  20101 
			 Wallasey constituency 15.8 17.2 16.5 22.5 29.3 
			 Wirral local authority 16.4 15.7 14.5 19.9 27.6 
			 North-west 17.4 17.6 17.0 19.9 26.1 
			 England 19.2 19.2 19.1 21.9 27.4 
			  Source:  UCAS. 
		
	
	Data for 2010/11 represent applicants who apply for entry in 2010/11 at 13 October 2010; end of year data will be available from 20 January 2011.
	All other years represent final end of year data.

Higher Education: Admissions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful applicants to university from (i) Wallasey constituency, (ii) the Wirral borough council area, (iii) the North West and (iv) England were from each socio-economic background in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: Data by socio-economic background are not available for each of the years requested. Therefore, applicants are split by Participation Of Local AReas (POLAR) quintiles.
	Applicants who were not accepted for entry can include:
	individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university;
	individuals who received a conditional offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and
	individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
	
		
			  Accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in UK institutions via UCAS by area background, 2006/07 to 2010/11 
			  Successful applicants  Area background  POLAR2 q uintile  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010( 1) 
			 Wallasey constituency Disadvantaged - 300 304 358 375 356 
			  Other - 232 254 269 277 274 
			 Total  - 532 558 627 652 630 
			 
			 Wirral local authority Disadvantaged - 622 681 798 830 771 
			  Other - 1,432 1,506 1,670 1,662 1,583 
			 Total  - 2,054 2,187 2,468 2,492 2,354 
			 
			 North-west Disadvantaged 1 8,129 8,898 10,408 11,234 11,342 
			   2 7,297 7,554 8,849 9,793 9,223 
			  Other 3 8,612 9,030 10,174 10,899 10,775 
			   4 8,529 8,905 9,474 10,346 9,969 
			   5 7,250 7,712 8,299 8,653 8,658 
			   (2)- 765 736 1,160 875 770 
			 Total  - 40,582 42,835 48,364 51,800 50,737 
			 
			 England Disadvantaged 1 37,187 40,369 47,260 51,245 51,031 
			   2 47,944 50,860 57,772 61,751 61,427 
			  Other 3 56,708 60,511 67,378 71,903 71,580 
			   4 69,329 73,595 79,765 84,091 83,701 
			   5 73,445 77,537 83,769 86,553 86,904 
			   (2)- 4,616 4,087 7,664 4,693 4,376 
			 Total  - 289,229 306,959 343,608 360,236 359,019 
			 (1 )Provisional.  (2) Unknown. 
		
	
	
		
			  Unplaced applicants to full-time undergraduate courses in UK institutions via UCAS by area background, 2006/07 to 2010/11 
			  Unplaced applicants  Area background  POLAR2 q uintile  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010( 1) 
			 Wallasey constituency Disadvantaged - 59 69 67 121 173 
			  Other - 41 47 57 68 88 
			 Total  - 100 116 124 189 261 
			 
			 Wirral local authority Disadvantaged - 142 184 151 260 363 
			  Other - 260 222 269 358 536 
			 Total  - 402 406 420 618 899 
			 
			 North-west Disadvantaged 1 2,031 2,311 2,482 3,303 4,706 
			   2 1,646 1,749 1,931 2,559 3,615 
			  Other 3 1,813 1,878 2,007 2,605 3,602 
			   4 1,604 1,742 1,880 2,328 3,246 
			   5 1,314 1,304 1,391 1,822 2,419 
			   (2)- 135 135 244 227 286 
			 Total  - 8,543 9,119 9,935 12,844 17,874 
			 
			 England Disadvantaged 1 9,791 10,738 12,429 15,986 22,937 
			   2 11,919 12,655 14,460 17,947 25,154 
			  Other 3 13,288 14,054 15,200 19,443 25,974 
			   4 15,299 16,152 17,250 21,733 28,811 
			   5 17,619 18,549 19,749 24,683 30,799 
			   (2)- 922 970 1,900 1,393 1,848 
			 Total  - 68,838 73,118 80,988 101,185 135,523 
			 (1 )Provisional. (2 )Unknown. 
		
	
	Numbers for successful and unsuccessful applicants are too small to be split into five quintiles for constituency and local authority level. Therefore the data are split into those from areas classified as 'disadvantaged' or 'other'.
	For the purposes of their funding allocations, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) treat entrants from the most disadvantaged 40% of neighbourhoods as 'disadvantaged':
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/fund/
	HEFCE uses two different groupings of areas to define disadvantage which are based on the historic levels of participation or qualification in higher education by the local population: one based on the participation rates of young (19 and under) people in HE (which is used by HEFCE when looking at young full-time entrants); and one based on the proportion of adults in the area who hold HE qualifications (which is used by HEFCE when looking at part-time and mature full-time entrants). Because this table includes applicants and accepted applicants of all ages disadvantage is defined by the HE qualified adults measure.
	Data for 2010/11 represent applicants who apply for entry in 2010/11 at 13 October 2010; end of year data will be available from 20 January 2011.
	All other years represent final end of year data.

Higher Education: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the Higher Education Funding Council for England to confirm its next funding allocation to universities; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: As in previous years the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will announce its provisional allocations to institutions for the next academic year (2011/12) in March this year, with final allocations in July.

Innovation: Regional Development Agencies

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department has provided to centres of innovation that are dependent on funding from the regional development agencies (RDAs) on whether they will remain as going concerns following the closure of RDAs.

David Willetts: The Department has not provided any guidance to centres of innovation dependent on funding from the regional development agencies. We are however considering the future of these centres in the context of existing RDA assets and liabilities.
	Furthermore, some of these centres may well succeed in their bids for future funding under the process of establishing the elite network of technology and innovation centres that is being run by the Technology Strategy Board.

Innovation: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many expressions of interest his Department has received from organisations wishing to establish a technology and innovation centre to date.

David Willetts: The network of technology and innovation centres will be established and overseen by the Technology Strategy Board which recently published a prospectus setting out the process for establishing these.
	Formal expressions of interest in forming all or part of the high value manufacturing centre and requests for suggestions and to register an interest within the broad thematic areas of energy and resource efficiency, transport systems, healthcare, ICT, electronics, photonics and electrical systems-are being gathered by the Technology Strategy Board as part of the process outlined in the prospectus.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which areas in the North East are not proposed to be covered by a local enterprise partnership; and what assessment he has made of the effect on such areas of exclusion from such partnerships.

Mark Prisk: All areas of the North East will be covered by a local enterprise partnership. Both the Tees Valley and the North Eastern partnerships have been asked to set up their boards.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has made a forecast of the number of local enterprise partnerships that it expects to be established in  (a) the North East and  (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: In the North East there are two local enterprise partnerships (LEPs.) Across England 28 local enterprise partnerships have met the Government's expectations to date and have been asked to put their governance arrangements in place. Other partnerships continue to develop their proposals so they can be in a similar position.
	The development of local enterprise partnerships is a bottom up process. No estimate has been made on the optimal number of LEPs to be established. We wish to enable partnerships to better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve and hence to cover real functional economic and travel to work areas. In addition, we would expect that partnerships to be of sufficient size to be able to have a strategic oversight of the area covered.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department made of the  (a) reflection of a functional economic area and  (b) governance arrangements in the successful second proposal for a local enterprise partnership to cover local authority areas in the North East.

Mark Prisk: The north-eastern local enterprise partnership proposal was assessed against the criteria as set out in the Local Growth White Paper. With regard to geography the Government concluded that the proposal represented a functional economic area that was supported by business and was sufficiently strategic.
	No assessment of the partnership's governance arrangements has been made yet. The partnership has been asked to form its board and inform Ministers when this is done. Ministers will then assess the board to ensure it also meets Government expectations regarding membership.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to set out the process to be followed for the transition from the regional development agency to two local enterprise partnerships in the North East; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Our proposals for restructuring the delivery landscape for economic development are set out in the Local Growth White Paper.
	The two local enterprise partnerships which have been invited to form their boards in the north-east are already working, alongside the North East Economic Partnership, to develop proposals which will best serve the natural economic geography of their areas.
	They will be focusing on key issues of importance to support rebalancing the economy of the north-east. These issues include: transition to a low carbon economy, supporting enterprise and private sector business growth, building on key economic strengths, improving skills and performance, and strengthening transport connectivity and infrastructure.

Manpower: Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which staff of his Department have been transferred to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as a result of the transfer of responsibility for media and telecommunications competition policy; and whether such transfers are  (a) on secondment and  (b) permanent.

Edward Vaizey: The details of which work will be transferred from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have been agreed and these Departments are now considering which staff will move and on what terms. No decisions have been made yet about whether the transfers will be permanent or on secondment.

Metals: Imports

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the level of security of supply of rare earth metals required by industry.

Mark Prisk: This Department is currently monitoring the various issues across Government surrounding rare earth metals, and discussing concerns with industry as they arise.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on support for research and development in the hybrid motor vehicle industry in the comprehensive spending review period;

Mark Prisk: To meet UK carbon targets, the road transport sector needs to be decarbonised and a key element will be the move to ultra-low carbon vehicles, including electric and plug-in hybrid. The spending review announced provision of in excess of £400 million over the lifetime of this Parliament to support the decarbonisation of road transport. This support will include:
	A commitment to a national recharging infrastructure for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, informed by the eight Plugged-In Places (PIP) pilot projects which will deliver approximately 8,000 charging points, between 2010-13;
	The Plug-In Car Grant (PICG) which was successfully launched on 1 January 2011. The PICG promotes consumer uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles by providing 25% of the cost of the car up to a cap of £5,000 to both private and business purchasers of eligible cars (which include the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid);
	The Technology Strategy Board's (TSB) core budget for the upcoming spending review period has yet to be allocated and until such a time it will not be possible for the TSB to specify the level of funding that it is likely to allocate towards the development of Low Carbon Vehicle technology. The TSB has been working in close partnership with this Department, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to support Low Carbon Vehicle Research and Development (R and D) under a range of themes-including hybrid vehicle technology-prioritised by an industry-led steering group and informed by the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team Technology Roadmap and Automotive Council findings. Funding is not, however, pre-allocated to specific themes, is subject to a competitive process and success will depend on the quality of the proposals submitted.
	The projected R and D spend over the period 1 April 2011-31 March 2015 by the EPSRC in support of the hybrid motor vehicle industry is shown in the following table (based on current grants only).
	
		
			  Financial year  EPSRC spend on hybrid motor vehicle research (£) 
			 2011-12 8,115,823.84 
			 2012-13 4,065,194.30 
			 2013-14 2,369,970.74 
			 2014-15 1,312,166.87 
			 Total 15,863,155.75 
		
	
	The DfT funded Low Carbon Vehicle Public Procurement programme has provided 200 all-electric and hybrid vans into public sector fleets. The value of this has been £6 million in the financial year 2010-11, and will be £1 million in 2011-12.
	DfT pays a bus subsidy incentive, at a rate of 6 pence per kilometre, to bus operators in England who use low carbon buses (including hybrid buses) on their local bus network.

New Businesses

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government is taking to encourage the establishment and growth of new small businesses.

Mark Prisk: The Government are encouraging the establishment and growth of new small businesses by:
	Launching the new Enterprise Allowance to help the unemployed become self-employed;
	Revamping the:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	website which will include a dedicated "start-up hub" bringing into one place the information that people need when thinking of starting or are running a new business;
	Establishing a network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors offering practical advice to existing businesses and people who want to start a business;
	Encouraging local authorities to work with the private sector to create Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) to create the right conditions for small firms to grow;
	Refocusing the range of Solutions for Business products so that they are better focussed on helping firms grow;
	Investing over £200 million in a national network of elite Technology and Innovation Centres to support the development and commercialisation of new technologies by UK businesses; and
	Establishing a new Business Coaching for Growth Programme to enable those new small businesses with high growth potential to realise their potential.

One NorthEast

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the abolition of One NorthEast on businesses in the North East.

Mark Prisk: An assessment of the impact of the abolition of One NorthEast will be made as part of the process surrounding the Public Bodies Bill.

Post Offices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what additional public sector services he expects to be delivered through the Post Office branch network by 2015.

Mark Prisk: The Post Office is already a trusted partner to the public sector, delivering a wide range of services for both central and local government. But the wide distribution and unparalleled national coverage of the Post Office network makes it ideally suited to go further and act as a front office for Government. This would see the Post Office as the natural place to complete face-to-face transactions, including those that support the delivery of online services, such as identity verification, as well as having a role in supporting people to use online services. More detail can be found in the policy statement 'Securing the Post office Network in the Digital Age', published on 9 November 2010, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support the Post Office network.

Edward Davey: We set out our policy towards the Post Office network in the policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age', published on 9 November, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. We will be providing £1.34 billion of funding for the Post Office over the next four years, enabling the maintenance and modernisation of the nationwide network of around 11,500 branches and the development of new revenue streams. There will be no programme of post office closures under this Government.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department  (a) commissioned and  (b) reviewed when taking the decision not to proceed with the creation of a Postbank.

Mark Prisk: We have looked carefully at the different options for providing financial services through the Post Office network. The three main approaches we focused on were the Post Office continuing to expand into financial services under its existing arrangements, the Post Office working with a different banking partner, and Government creating a state-backed Post Bank. In coming to our conclusion we reviewed relevant publicly available documents, studied international comparisons and engaged with stakeholders, including supporters of a state-backed Post Bank.

Post Offices: Closures

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices were  (a) closed,  (b) under temporary closure and  (c) operated by temporary staff since May 2010; and what estimate he has made of the likely number of post office closures in 2011.

Edward Davey: The information requested is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of the Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postal Services: Fees and Charges

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that no geographical zonal pricing for Royal Mail services results from implementation of the provisions of the Postal Services Bill.

Edward Davey: The Postal Services Bill clearly sets out the minimum requirements of a universal postal service and this includes the delivery of a universal service at affordable prices determined in accordance with a public tariff that is uniform throughout the United Kingdom.
	It is the responsibility of the regulator, Postcomm (or Ofcom once regulatory responsibility is transferred to them under the Bill) to consider any requests by Royal Mail to operate services on a zonal basis and their considerations would obviously include any impact on customers affected by any such proposed change. And as is currently the case, any such requests would also be subject to consultation. Any universal service products must be provided at a uniform rate across the UK.
	Royal Mail do of course already operate zonal pricing for some 'access' products for bulk mail products. These products are outside of the universal service so there is no requirement for a uniform rate.

Regional Growth Fund

James Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications have been received for round 1 of bids to the Regional Growth Fund to date.

Mark Prisk: To date four bids have been received. It is typical in any competitive bidding process for applications to be received at the last minute, so we expect bids for the first round of funding to reach us nearer to the 21 January deadline.

Research: Overseas Students

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many postgraduate research students in the UK were from outside the UK  (a) in each of the last 10 years by (i) number and (ii) proportion of the total,  (b) by subject in each of the last 10 years by (i) number and (ii) proportion of the total; and  (c) how much they paid for their course in each of the last 10 years by (i) number and (ii) proportion of the total according to fee bands (A) £0 to £5,000, (B) £5,001 to £10,000, (C) £10,001 to £15,000, (D) £15,001 to £20,000, (E) £20,001 to £25,000 and (F) over £25,000; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) regarding overseas postgraduate research enrolments is shown in tables 1 and 2. Due to a change in both subject classification and the way in which students were assigned to a subject of study in 2002/03, earlier figures are not comparable. For this reason, figures for 2000/01 and 2001/02 are provided in table 1 and later years in table 2. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
	The Department does not collect data on the amount higher education institutions (HEIs) charge postgraduate research students in fees.
	
		
			  Table 1: Overseas( 1)  postgraduate research enrolments by subject of study. UK higher education institutions. Academic years 2000/01 to 2001/02 
			   2000/01  2001/02 
			  Subject of study  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments 
			 Medicine and dentistry 1,340 19 1,405 20 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 995 23 1,075 23 
			 Biological sciences 2,330 24 2,415 25 
			 Veterinary science 95 27 95 27 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 540 46 505 45 
			 Physical sciences 2,775 29 2,870 30 
			 Mathematical sciences 705 41 735 41 
			 Computer science 1,315 46 1,490 47 
			 Engineering and technology 5,645 50 5,670 51 
			 Architecture, building and planning 630 45 695 47 
			 Social, economic and political studies 3,595 43 3,725 44 
			 Law 740 51 760 53 
			 Business and administrative studies 1,835 45 2,000 47 
			 Librarianship and information science 205 37 210 37 
			 Languages 2,055 40 2,075 41 
			 Humanities 1,945 33 1,995 32 
			 Creative arts and design 610 27 705 29 
			 Education 1,990 34 2,010 35 
			 Combined/ Invalid code supplied 420 30 475 31 
			 Total 29,770 35 30,915 36 
			 (1) Covers EU and non-EU domiciled enrolments.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Overseas( 1)  postgraduate research enrolments by subject of study. UK higher education institutions. Academic years 2002/03 to 2009/10 
			   2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			  Subject of study  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments 
			 Medicine and dentistry 1,490 21 1,620 23 1,755 25 1,910 26 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 1,185 24 1,280 26 1,335 26 1,390 27 
			 Biological sciences 2,520 25 2,795 27 2,930 28 3,015 29 
			 Veterinary science 100 28 105 30 100 29 105 27 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 500 47 430 46 400 47 350 49 
			 Physical sciences 2,880 30 2,905 31 3,000 32 3,240 34 
			 Mathematical sciences 840 41 845 41 900 42 980 45 
			 Computer science 1,765 49 1,985 51 2,230 54 2,235 55 
			 Engineering and technology 5,975 53 6,205 55 6,345 57 6,495 57 
			 Architecture, building and planning 800 52 860 53 870 55 870 55 
			 Social studies 3,585 47 4,015 50 4,250 52 4,055 50 
			 Law 1,160 58 920 55 990 58 935 58 
			 Business and administrative studies 2,235 49 2,340 52 2,555 55 2,605 56 
			 Mass communications and documentation 255 37 280 38 325 45 365 48 
			 Languages 2,190 41 2,325 43 2,355 44 2,290 43 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 2,025 32 2,120 33 2,185 34 2,170 34 
			 Creative arts and. design 930 32 775 31 820 32 825 32 
			 Education 2,130 37 2,305 39 2,320 39 2,230 38 
			 Combined 30 43 50 56 25 27 140 33 
			 All subjects 32,590 38 34,150 39 35,695 41 36,210 41 
		
	
	
		
			   2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			  Subject of study  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments  Number  Percentage of all enrolments 
			 Medicine and dentistry 2,150 28 2,335 29 2,260 30 2,375 30 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 1,560 29 1,845 33 1,900 33 2,010 32 
			 Biological sciences 3,370 31 3,460 32 3,795 32 3,800 32 
			 Veterinary science 100 24 90 24 90 26 70 22 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 315 54 380 53 370 54 380 53 
			 Physical sciences 3,530 36 3,875 37 3,850 37 3,840 36 
			 Mathematical sciences 1,100 47 1,125 49 1,055 48 1,095 49 
			 Computer science 2,370 57 2,505 57 2,445 57 2,415 56 
			 Engineering and technology 6,645 57 6,880 59 6,890 59 7,160 57 
			 Architecture, building and planning 885 56 825 57 815 55 890 55 
			 Social studies 4,085 50 4,350 51 4,350 50 4,470 50 
			 Law 990 59 1,040 59 1,095 59 1,155 57 
			 Business and administrative studies 2,725 57 2,960 58 3,085 59 3,290 57 
			 Mass communications and documentation 390 48 405 50 400 49 410 45 
			 Languages 2,315 43 2,440 44 2,415 43 2,425 42 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 2,225 35 2,395 35 2,395 36 2,405 35 
			 Creative arts and. design 925 32 1,045 33 1,080 33 1,125 33 
			 Education 2,175 38 2,140 36 2,220 35 2,285 35 
			 Combined 125 33 15 30 10 40 10 57 
			 All subjects 37,975 42 40,110 43 40,530 43 41,605 42 
			 (1) Covers EU and non-EU domiciled enrolments.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Royal Mail

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates he met the chief executive of Royal Mail in the last 12 months; and what matters were discussed at each such meeting.

Edward Davey: BIS Ministers have held several meetings with the chief executive since the general election and have discussed a wide range of issues relating to the business and the Postal Services Bill. The meetings I have had are as follows:
	
		
			   Meeting with: 
			 21 May 2010 Moya Greene 
			 8 July 2010 Donald Brydon and Moya Greene 
			 15 July 2010 Donald Brydon and Moya Greene 
			 7 September 2010 Donald Brydon and Moya Greene 
			 7 October 2010 Moya Greene 
			 2 November 2010 Moya Greene 
			 29 November 2010 Donald Brydon and Moya Greene 
			 9 December 2010 Donald Brydon and Moya Greene 
		
	
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has had one meeting as follows:
	
		
			   Meeting with: 
			 8 December 2010 Moya Greene 
		
	
	Departmental officials meet with representatives of Royal Mail on a regular basis.

Student Loans Company

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of arrangements for information sharing between the Student Loans Company and HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company (SLC) and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) regularly exchange information which underpins the collection of student loans; this Department is working with them to develop an electronic data sharing link which will make improvements to the way household income is verified, for the purposes of assessing student support entitlement.
	Any issues on information sharing would be the subject of regular discussions between this Department and our partners.

Student Loans Company

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the performance and effectiveness of the Student Loans Company; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills reviews the performance of the Student Loans Company (SLC) on an ongoing basis. Regular meetings are held at official level, including as part of the shared governance arrangements in place for overseeing student finance delivery. Formal performance reviews are held quarterly and twice yearly are chaired by me, most recently on 20 December 2010.
	Following the unacceptable service problems in delivering the academic year 2009/10 applications cycle, the SLC has made significant improvements this year. The company has made improvements to the way it processes applications and deploys staff to better manage applications processing and answering telephones at peak times. Data from the SLC show that 99.3% of applications for students who applied by the relevant deadlines with the right documentation were prepared for payment to be made at the start of term.
	There is still more to do to ensure that students and their families receive the level of service that they have every right to expect. The Department is working in partnership with the SLC and are committed to supporting the SLC in its efforts to deliver a more successful student finance service.

Students: Fees and Charges

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that those granted refugee status are eligible for student support for fees for the full length of their intended course of study where they have been accepted as a home student for funding purposes.

David Willetts: In England, home fee status and tuition fee support are available to refugees and their family members as long as they have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since being recognised as a refugee and they meet all other eligibility requirements. Continuing eligibility will be determined by certain criteria, for example the continuation of refugee status or other qualifying immigration status. There are no plans to change this.

Technology

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution his Department is making to the Prime Minister's initiative to create a Tech City in East London.

Mark Prisk: Officials in this Department and in UKTI have helped to establish contact with potential investors in the East London Tech City initiative, and continue to assist the Greater London authority as the initiative is developed.
	More widely, the recently announced Growth Review, which this Department is leading jointly with the Treasury, and which is aimed at creating the conditions for strong, sustainable and balanced growth, will address a range of issues relevant to technology-based companies including access to finance, regulation and competition.

Technology Strategy Board

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will put in place arrangements to ensure that the Technology Strategy Board meets regularly in the regions.

David Willetts: The executive Technology Strategy Board engages extensively with businesses across the UK both directly and through the activities of its knowledge transfer networks and is currently working with the Science and Industry Councils in England looking at the role they may play in future. It will also look to build on the relationship already established with organisations at a sub-national level and develop relationships with those local enterprise partnerships that can demonstrably help it extend its reach and engage with innovative businesses.
	Furthermore, the Governing Board of the Technology Strategy Board will hold meetings with occasional elements of local engagement where the topic of business under discussion would benefit from such activity.

Technology Strategy Board

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to ensure representation of the  (a) regions and  (b) nations on the Technology Strategy Board.

David Willetts: Members of the Governing Board of the Technology Strategy Board are drawn from businesses and organisations across the UK on the basis of their relevant experience of, and success in, science and technology development and exploitation from a business perspective.
	They are not appointed to represent the interests of English regions or the devolved Administrations, or for that matter, specific business sectors.
	At a working level however, the Technology Strategy Board has officials responsible for relationship managing activities at a sub-national level and will look to build on the relationship already established with the devolved Administrations and develop an appropriate relationship with the Local Enterprise Partnerships, particularly those that can demonstrably help the Technology Strategy Board extend its reach and engage with innovative businesses.

Technology Strategy Board

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department expects to allocate to the Technology Strategy Board in each of the next three years; for what purpose such funding is to be allocated; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Details of the Technology Strategy Board's core budget for the next four years of the spending review period will be detailed in the near future. This funding supports business innovation through mechanisms such as funding for collaborative research projects, knowledge transfer partnerships, the Small Business Research Initiative and for networking. It is focused on those opportunities which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity on the basis of business and academic strength.
	An additional £200 million will be provided to the Technology Strategy Board to establish a network of technology and innovation centres. These will complement the approaches highlighted above, where necessary and appropriate, by providing a business led, capital intensive infrastructure that enables business to exploit new and emerging technologies.

Trade: Manpower

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department not including those in UK Trade and Investment work on international trade in  (a) general and  (b) negotiations; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Joint Trade Policy Unit currently has 59 staff. The roles of the team, drawn from both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for International Development, all have some link to trade negotiations.

Work Experience

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage graduates from each social background to take up internships in  (a) the voluntary sector and  (b) media industries.

David Willetts: The Government remains committed both to increasing social mobility and to encouraging employers to offer more internships to young people, including graduates.
	The Graduate Talent Pool website advertises vacancies from a wide range of sectors, including the voluntary and the media sectors. Eligible graduates from all social backgrounds can apply for internships advertised on the GTP.

Working Hours: EU Law

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in its negotiations on revisions to the European Working Time Directive; and what further negotiations he expects to take place in 2011.

Edward Davey: The coalition Government are committed to limiting the application of the working time directive in the UK, including maintaining the flexibility provided by the right of individuals to opt out of the maximum 48-hour working week. We have made, and continue to make clear to the Commission and to partners in Europe that we will engage positively and constructively with any further negotiations on the working time directive, and in particular that we would welcome changes to increase flexibility, for instance regarding the treatment of 'on-call' time. But we are stressing at every opportunity that the UK position on the opt-out will remain absolutely firm.
	The Commission is currently conducting a consultation on reviewing the directive, limited to European social partners. If the social partners do not decide to come to an agreement on working time, it is likely that the Commission will issue a proposal to amend the directive during 2011.

JUSTICE

Community Orders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the average cost to the public purse of a shorter intensive supervision order.

Crispin Blunt: Intensive supervision is a common component in community orders imposed as part of the intensive alternatives custody (IAC) pilots. The majority of orders made have been for 12 months with some for 24 months.
	Meaningful average costs for IAC are not available as each pilot has developed through negotiation with local courts, and the component parts have varied along with the associated local costs which has meant that costs for each pilot area have differed considerably.

Community Orders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of shorter intensive supervision orders on rates of rehabilitation.

Crispin Blunt: Seven areas are running pilots to test an intensive community order targeting offenders likely to be sentenced to short-term custody. We do not have evidence of the impact of these schemes on reoffending. NOMS has commissioned research including analysis exploring the feasibility of evaluating the schemes' impact on reoffending.

Crime: Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on recorded crime rates of the change in the prison population between 1997 and 2010.

Crispin Blunt: Rates of recorded crime may be affected by a number of factors beyond changes to the prison population. Possible factors include the effectiveness of policing, the effectiveness of rehabilitation and technological developments in security such as vehicle immobilisers.
	The Ministry of Justice published an assessment of the evidence on the complex link between changes in the prison population and recorded crime rates in the Green Paper Evidence Report, 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders', December 2010. This concluded that there is no clear consensus from criminologists and commentators about whether imprisonment directly affects crime.

Defamation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the review of the law of libel in England and Wales will include an assessment of whether the families of deceased persons should be able to bring defamation actions in respect of their deceased relatives.

Jonathan Djanogly: We are carrying out an extensive review of the law on defamation, and will publish a draft Defamation Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny and full consultation in the spring. As part of the review we are giving consideration to the evidence that has been presented to us on this particular issue.

Departmental Manpower

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what changes to staffing levels at HM Prison Ford proposed as a consequence of planned reductions in the budget of the National Offender Management Service.

Crispin Blunt: Following the disturbance the Regional Manager Custodial Services will await the outcome of the NOMS investigation before finalising staffing levels for 2011-12.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what requirements there were on the Legal Services Commission and its predecessor to maintain  (a) the ISO quality standard and  (b) other external quality standards since December 2004; what steps were taken to ensure such compliance; what requirements there were to audit such compliance; and what the cost to the public purse was of such compliance in each year since 2004.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is a non-departmental public body able to determine which accreditations it considers are suitable. As such, we have not required the LSC to maintain any quality standards. As best practice, the LSC does maintain or has maintained in the past a number of externally recognised quality standards, which are as follows:
	 ISO 9002: quality standard from 2001 to 2007
	 Charter Mark: from 2007 to 2010 (the Charter Mark was abolished by the Government in 2010).
	The LSC was assessed on a rolling three-year programme by external assessors for both standards. The LSC passed all assessments and reassessments, and worked with the assessing bodies on various improvements over the years.
	 Investors in People accreditation: from March 2009 to present
	The organisation-wide accreditation is in place for three years. If the LSC decides to apply for reaccreditation in March 2012, it will begin self- assessment from 2011. There are no audit requirements throughout the three-year period until March 2012 when the LSC would be reassessed against the standard by an external assessor through a process of interviews with a sample of staff.
	 ISO 14001:2004: environmental management standard from March 2009 to August 2010
	The ISO 14001 standard defines a set of environmental management requirements for environmental management systems. To ensure compliance the LSC was required to provide continual staff training and monitoring of key performance indicators. Compliance was externally assessed every six months. In August 2010 the LSC withdrew from ISO 14001 accreditation.
	The LSC has no central record of the amount spent on compliance with quality standards and such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Standards

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date and for what reason the Legal Services Commission did not meet the ISO quality standard to which it had been accredited; what steps had been taken to attempt to ensure continued compliance with the standard; and what steps were taken  (a) in consequence of the failure to meet the standard and  (b) to return to accredited standards.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) maintained the ISO 9002 quality standard until 2007, after which it applied for the Charter Mark, which it held from 2007 to 2010, when it was abolished by the Government. At no time did the LSC lose accreditation for the ISO 9002 or Charter Mark standard, and therefore it did not fail to meet the requirements of these standards. For both standards the LSC was assessed on a rolling three-year programme by external assessors. The LSC passed all assessments and reassessments, and worked with the assessing bodies on various improvements over the years.

Departmental Standards

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has spent since 2004 on compliance with quality standards.

Jonathan Djanogly: Neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Legal Services Commission maintain central records of expenditure on compliance with quality standards and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Driving Offences

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that the offence of obstruction of a driveway is treated in the same way in cases where a vehicle is prevented from  (a) leaving and  (b) entering private property.

Norman Baker: I have been asked to reply.
	The police have the power to remove a vehicle from the highway if it is causing an obstruction. It is for the police to decide what constitutes obstruction. The Government are considering extending this power to cover obstruction on private land.

Family Justice Review Panel

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any of the members of the Family Justice Review panel have  (a) been the subject as children of proceedings under the Children Act 1989,  (b) been party as a parent to proceedings under the Children Act 1989 and  (c) undertaken remunerated employment for (i) social services, (ii) CAFCASS, (iii) the National Youth Advocacy Service, (iv) HM Courts Service, (v) the judiciary and (vi) a family legal practice in the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: None of the Family Justice Review Panel have been subject as children of proceedings under the Children Act 1989 or been party as a parent to proceedings under the Children Act 1989.
	With regard to part  (c) of your question:
	Mr Justice McFarlane has been a High Court family judge for five years. He practised at the Bar for nearly 30 years before that, latterly specialising in family law and was appointed a QC in 1998. In the course of his practice as a barrister, he regularly acted all categories of parties to family cases and therefore received instructions from social services, CAFCASS, NYAS and parents.
	John Coughlan has been the Director of Children's Services for Hampshire county council since 2005 which includes short-term employment in November and December 2008 as Director of Children's Services at Haringey; From 2001 to 2005 he was statutory Director of Social Services for Telford and Wrekin; From 1997 to 2001 he worked for Dudley metropolitan borough council social services department; From 1982 to 1997 he worked for Birmingham city council social services department.
	Keith Towler has not been employed by a social services department since 1984 and has never been employed by other organisations listed.
	Baroness Richie is a member of the CAFCASS Board and has not been employed by the other organisations listed.
	Neither David Norgrove nor Gillian Pugh has been employed by any of the organisations listed.

First Offenders: Females

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many female prisoners there were  (a) in December 1996,  (b) in December 2009 and  (c) on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many were first-time offenders in each case.

Crispin Blunt: The population of the women's prison estate was as follows:
	 (a) 2,370 in December 1996,  (b) 4, 259 in December 2009 and  (c) 3,982 on 7 January 2011, the most recent date for which figures are available. There were 4,307 female prisoners on 30 June 2009 (the most recent date for which information on first-time offenders is available) of which 3,427 were serving an immediate custodial sentence. 3,328 of these could be found on the Police National Computer and of these 915 had no previous cautions or convictions when sentenced. Figures for first-time offender female prisoners are not available for December 1996 and December 2009.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Ford Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the governor of HM Prison Ford in the last six months.

Crispin Blunt: I visited Ford prison on 4 August and on 2 January. On both occasions I met with the governor.

Incentives

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been paid in bonuses or enhanced remuneration payments to employees of the Legal Services Commission in respect of performance against  (a) internally set targets and  (b) external quality standards in each year since 2007; and what the job title was of the recipient of each such payment.

Jonathan Djanogly: A response cannot be prepared in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member with the available information when it has been collated.

Open Prisons: Sentencing

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners there are serving short sentences in open prisons.

Crispin Blunt: The population of those serving short sentences (sentences of less than 12 months) in open prisons at 30 September 2010, was 211.
	The figure provided includes those prisoners held in open prisons/YOIs and the relevant parts of multi-site establishments; it does not include those in semi-open prisons or in small (under 50 place) open units at closed prisons.
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison Accommodation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the operational capacity of HM Prison Ford is.

Crispin Blunt: As a result of the disturbance on 31 December and 1 January the operational capacity at Ford has been reduced from 557 to a new temporary operational capacity of 445.

Prison Officers

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many were on duty on the prison estate on  (a) 30 December 2009,  (b) 31 December 2009 and  (c) 1 January 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not collected centrally and to obtain accurate information on the number of staff on duty across the estate on those dates would entail significant disproportionate cost.

Prison Service: Hewlett-Packard

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to HM Prison Service is of the contract with HP Enterprise Services for the provision of  (a) desktop computers,  (b) printers and  (c) telephones in respect of each participating prison.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	The contract with HP Enterprise Services UK Ltd provides a fully managed ICT and telephony service for establishments within the National Offender Management Service. The costs of the services in 2009-10 are shown in the table.
	The 'Desktop and Laptops' column also includes the cost of one printer for every seven desktop and laptop devices.
	The 'Printers' column is the cost of the printers deployed by each establishment in excess of the 'one in seven' printers included in the previous column.
	The 'Desktop Telephones', 'Mobile Telephones' and 'Pagers' columns exclude the cost of calls made from those devices.
	
		
			  2009 - 10 expenditure by establishment 
			  £ 
			  Establishment  Desktop and laptops  Printers  Desktop telephones  Mobile telephones  Pagers 
			 Acklington 164,016 612 20,779 1,294 198 
			 Albany 188,913 665 16,557 701 438 
			 Ashwell 137,433 1,022 13,389 1,302 201 
			 Askham Grange 68,104 185 7,072 1,133 169 
			 Aylesbury 140,344 501 21,576 1,472 49 
			 Bedford 115,677 393 13,399 1,510 36 
			 Belmarsh 344,349 1,876 29,013 4,815 301 
			 Belmarsh East - 363 - 15 - 
			 Birmingham 342,587 889 26,949 2,982 700 
			 Blantyre House 41,138 90 5,206 1,271 37 
			 Blundeston 133,296 67 19,554 855 123 
			 Brinsford 196,267 625 17,751 2,820 445 
			 Bristol 180,793 757 16,625 3,382 337 
			 Brixton 201,860 390 25,427 2,881 195 
			 Buckley Hall 115,294 293 11,544 1,965 220 
			 Bullingdon 270,116 864 27,773 1,941 376 
			 Bullwood Hall 82,276 44 10,590 717 130 
			 Camp Hill 141,953 318 11,278 847 197 
			 Canterbury 91,852 235 11,929 925 74 
			 Cardiff 203,698 295 17,365 2,589 654 
			 Castington 152,984 387 12,795 1,348 44 
			 Channings Wood 182,172 133 20,836 1,325 76 
			 Chelmsford 191,441 907 17,751 2,373 293 
			 Coldingley 149,077 698 16,411 1,117 37 
			 Coltishall 71,628 163 6,968 247 9 
			 Cookham Wood 106,024 668 11,632 2,196 161 
			 Dartmoor 148,924 213 18,293 2,219 206 
			 Deerbolt 137,663 660 17,099 1,487 247 
			 Dorchester 78,216 106 8,610 1,179 172 
			 Dover 79,825 511 11,726 1,379 33 
			 Down view 126,938 451 12,185 1,048 62 
			 Drake Hall 110,850 151 10,131 1,009 189 
			 Durham 256,174 855 27,997 1,525 100 
			 East Sutton Park 46,654 259 6,134 1,217 37 
			 Eastwood Park 146,013 519 14,598 3,305 148 
			 Edmunds Hill 108,476 441 9,475 1,495 416 
			 Elmley 139,118 103 18,986 2,103 346 
			 Erlestoke 129,696 468 12,518 1,995 139 
			 Everthorpe 161,105 374 13,905 925 103 
			 Exeter 152,295 474 14,405 1,379 401 
			 Featherstone 166,544 494 21,295 2,034 146 
			 Feltham 329,717 789 32,260 1,479 272 
			 Ford 125,482 369 14,598 1,595 49 
			 Foston Hall 102,041 440 13,946 932 14 
			 Frankland 306,198 932 36,648 3,683 359 
			 Full Sutton 199,944 503 22,858 3,606 180 
			 Garth 163,709 378 20,179 1,664 74 
			 Gartree 220,322 871 19,434 1,148 173 
			 Glen Parva 221,701 464 17,991 2,096 309 
			 Gloucester 118,128 284 10,496 1,048 123 
			 Grendon 167,157 747 19,716 2,928 469 
			 Guys March 118,588 206 13,227 1,102 99 
			 Haslar 50,101 379 8,036 801 48 
			 Haverigg 126,631 322 13,925 2,180 86 
			 Highdown 263,988 1,546 35,126 1,795 457 
			 Highpoint 236,256 1,090 20,586 2,219 153 
			 Hindley 209,444 893 24,646 1,811 206 
			 Hollesley Bay 97,444 611 14,311 2,920 25 
			 Holloway 184,623 364 32,567 2,650 556 
			 Holme House 177,575 432 24,083 1,664 259 
			 Hull 240,010 679 31,442 3,128 542 
			 Huntercombe 148,081 349 16,406 1,841 187 
			 ISIS 14,709 65 - - - 
			 Isle of Sheppey 88,864 1,594 - - - 
			 Kennett 153,674 1,956 19,518 1,841 12 
			 Kingston 76,530 363 7,385 1,310 55 
			 Kirkham 155,819 437 18,783 2,704 531 
			 Kirklevington Grange 65,959 177 7,004 894 59 
			 Lancaster Castle 90,626 260 9,329 1,163 173 
			 Lancaster Farms 174,970 545 20,909 1,803 258 
			 Latchmere House 57,302 150 8,026 1,025 62 
			 Leeds 267,818 344 28,763 2,034 502 
			 Leicester 114,221 401 14,269 1,387 56 
			 Lewes 203,315 1,589 17,162 2,851 182 
			 Leyhill 125,789 82 15,494 2,643 212 
			 Lincoln 165,088 696 18,032 1,140 158 
			 Lindholme 238,401 1,118 22,321 1,094 107 
			 Littlehey 166,467 234 21,102 1,002 235 
			 Liverpool 246,062 1,384 33,896 4,122 136 
			 Long Lartin 242,308 1,332 27,752 4,469 605 
			 Low Newton 135,211 1,387 13,467 1,872 308 
			 Maidstone 161,028 339 16,245 1,156 60 
			 Manchester 276,858 1,275 28,059 3,999 333 
			 Moorland 226,757 504 32,646 2,465 284 
			 Morton Hall 122,571 347 11,815 1,387 148 
			 Mount (The) 149,614 484 17,068 2,581 383 
			 New Hall 186,615 799 17,188 1,733 114 
			 North Sea Camp 95,606 178 10,350 925 62 
			 Northallerton 79,135 237 10,871 1,341 25 
			 Norwich 179,414 303 23,661 1,757 416 
			 Nottingham 224,918 1,151 23,301 1,926 136 
			 Onley 246,904 823 25,480 1,032 210 
			 Parkhurst 144,711 470 23,108 2,720 249 
			 Pentonville 295,703 510 30,519 2,743 540 
			 Portland 144,098 347 21,633 1,233 - 
			 Preston 191,747 630 22,379 2,997 49 
			 Ranby 219,249 869 25,818 2,011 679 
			 Reading 98,746 336 11,413 1,109 181 
			 Redditch Cluster 369,782 788 39,124 5,547 556 
			 Risley 190,752 591 19,950 2,966 190 
			 Rochester 204,081 1,564 19,002 1,618 282 
			 Send 119,507 673 15,463 3,313 62 
			 Shepton Mallet 78,829 70 9,443 1,186 210 
			 Shrewsbury 116,289 226 12,497 1,757 73 
			 Stafford 171,676 336 20,289 1,294 62 
			 Standford Hill 120,733 249 14,087 2,203 202 
			 Stocken 182,631 478 17,360 1,941 232 
			 Stoke Heath 187,687 473 21,170 1,965 86 
			 Styal 165,241 497 18,376 462 12 
			 Sudbury 129,619 252 13,957 1,117 37 
			 Swaleside 148,005 343 17,725 1,240 148 
			 Swansea 113,991 324 10,798 2,165 136 
			 Swinfen Hall 170,451 957 15,849 1,834 248 
			 Thorn Cross 123,950 507 10,736 1,379 12 
			 Usk 111,999 328 16,912 1,579 136 
			 Verne (The) 131,458 395 13,733 709 109 
			 Wakefield 280,841 1,613 30,618 2,943 206 
			 Wandsworth 431,144 2,136 36,533 6,009 914 
			 Warren Hill 135,288 360 11,460 678 247 
			 Wayland 197,340 351 17,073 1,757 206 
			 Wealstun 198,872 846 21,342 647 95 
			 Wellingborough 142,412 531 18,684 2,150 210 
			 Werrington 83,808 441 11,288 1,302 123 
			 Wetherby 187,917 1,585 15,859 1,787 161 
			 Wharton 271,112 2,022 21,039 2,735 185 
			 Whitemoor 291,490 932 28,101 3,220 171 
			 Winchester 166,390 642 19,252 948 326 
			 Woodhill 253,416 719 27,648 3,159 441 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 300,376 495 29,696 2,157 173 
			 Wymott 226,757 996 22,655 1,872 81

Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the prison population was on 31 December 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The prison population as at 31 December 2010 was 83,055.
	The prison population figures are published by the Ministry of Justice and can be found free of charge at the HM Prison Service website via the following:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/publicationsdocuments/index.asp?cat=85
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the size of the prison population in 2014-15.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice produces annual projections of the prison population in England and Wales, most recently in August 2010. These project the prison population under three different scenarios based on different assumptions about future sentencing trends (increasing sentencing, no change and decreasing custody rate and average custodial sentence length).
	The following table shows average monthly projected prison population for the financial year 2014-15.
	
		
			  Average projected prison population( 1) 
			   Sentencing trends 
			   Increase  No change  Decrease 
			 2014-15 92,100 88,500 84,700 
			 ( 1) Financial year figures.   Note:  All figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 
		
	
	These and more details on the projections may be found in the latest published bulletin "Prison Population Projections 2010-2016" Ministry of Justice Statistics Bulletin, 10 August 2010. This is available at the following webpage:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonpopulation.htm
	These projections take no account of any impact on the prison population which might result from proposed sentencing reforms noted in the recently published Ministry of Justice business plan 2011-15, which is available at the following webpage:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/business-plan-2011-15.htm
	As such these projections provide a set of "baseline" scenarios against which the impacts of future changes can be assessed.
	Other impacts included in the projections, cover the anticipated impacts of policy and process initiatives that have agreed implementation timetables.
	For the 2010 prison population projections these include the impact of changes to arrangements for release on licence for current prisoners sentenced under the Criminal Justice Act 1991, which were brought in through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 and the impact of the withdrawal of End of Custody Licence in March 2010. These impacts are applied equally to all scenarios.

Prisoners: Alcohol

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serving prisoners have been diagnosed with drink problems; and how many such prisoners are receiving treatment in alcohol dependency units.

Crispin Blunt: Research carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)(1) states that 63% of sentenced males and 39% of sentenced females reported a hazardous drinking pattern in the year before coming into prison. A more recent survey carried out in 2005-06(2) found that 23% of prisoners (sentenced from one month to four years) reported having drunk alcohol in the four weeks prior to custody and that they would find it quite difficult or impossible to stop drinking.
	Figures for those receiving a clinical intervention for alcohol dependency were last collated centrally in 2002-03, when an estimated 6,400 prisoners undertook an alcohol detoxification with an estimated 7,000 more prisoners undertaking detoxification for combined alcohol and drug misuse.
	A range of interventions are in place to support those with an alcohol problem. For those prisoners who are alcohol dependent, services are in the main provided within the wider drug treatment framework. Interventions are not necessarily delivered within specialist rehabilitation units.
	(1) Substance Misuse among prisoners in England and Wales (1997), Singleton, Farrell and Meltzer.
	(2) Ministry of Justice (2010) "Compendium of reoffending statistics and analysis". Ministry of Justice Statistics Bulletin. London: Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners: Drugs

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serving prisoners have been diagnosed with drug problems; and how many such prisoners are receiving treatment in drug rehabilitation units.

Crispin Blunt: We do not collect central figures on the diagnosed drug problems of prisoners. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) estimates that on average 55% of those entering prison have a serious drug problem.(1) A survey of 1,435 prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in 2005 and 2006(2) showed 64% of prisoners reporting having used drugs in the four weeks prior to custody.
	In 2009-10 66,459 prisoners engaged with CARAT (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare) services in prisons and 60,067 received a clinical intervention. Of these 10,206 started an accredited drug treatment programme.
	In addition to this 6,586 young people (15 to 17-year-olds) in custody engaged with the Young People's Substance Misuse Service (YPSMS).(3)
	The drug treatment framework is available across prisons and is designed to meet the needs of all drug-misusing offenders. Interventions are not necessarily delivered within specialist rehabilitation units.
	(1) Principally based on figures from 'Substance misuse among prisoners in England and Wales', Office for National Statistics (1999), Singleton et al.
	(2) Ministry of Justice (2010) "Compendium of reoffending statistics and analysis". Ministry of Justice Statistics Bulletin. London: Ministry of Justice.
	(3) All data are drawn from administrative IT systems and are subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale assessment and recording system.

Prisoners: Gender Recognition

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to issue guidance to prisons on the location and treatment of transgender prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: The draft Prison Service instruction on the care and management of transsexual prisoners is currently awaiting final approval from the National Offender Management Service Operational Policy Group, and will be published shortly after this approval is obtained. In the meantime the draft instruction is available to prison staff who can also contact the relevant policy leads at National Offender Management Service headquarters for further advice and support.

Prisoners: Mental Health

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving custodial sentences have been diagnosed with mental health problems; and how many such prisoners are receiving treatment in psychiatric hospitals.

Crispin Blunt: The diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems suffered by sentenced prisoners is for medical professionals under the NHS prison mental health in-reach programme. Figures are not centrally available for prisoners who have been so diagnosed and who are receiving treatment in prison. However, in the most recent survey of prisoner backgrounds, 17% reported having been treated or counselled for a mental health or emotional problem in the year before custody. On 10 January 2011, 824 sentenced prisoners in England and Wales were receiving treatment in psychiatric hospitals, after being transferred for treatment by the Secretary of State under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Prisoners: Mental Health

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of serving prisoners of each sex who have a diagnosed personality disorder.

Crispin Blunt: Data are not held centrally on the numbers of serving prisoners with a diagnosed personality disorder. However, it is estimated that approximately two-thirds of prisoners would meet the criteria for at least one type of personality disorder.
	The prevalence of personality disorder among the prison population was estimated in a Ministry of Justice report 'The problems and needs of newly sentenced prisoners: results from a national survey', Ministry of Justice Research Series 16/08, October 2008. This indicated that 61% of prisoners in the sample were assessed as having a personality disorder. There was little difference by sentence length, but the rate was higher for men than for women (62% versus 57%), and for adults compared to young offenders (63% versus 53%).
	The Ministry of Justice Rehabilitation Green Paper 'Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders' noted that the national health service and National Offender Management Service plan to reconfigure existing services in secure and community settings to manage high risk, sexual or violent offenders whose offending is linked to severe forms of personality disorder. The implementation plan for these changes will be subject to a separate consultation by the Department of Health and the Ministry of Justice to be launched shortly.

Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the  (a) prevalence of gangs in and  (b) effect of gangs on (i) HM Prison Ford and (ii) the prison estate in the last six months.

Crispin Blunt: In view of the ongoing criminal and NOMS investigations into the incident at HMP Ford, it would be inappropriate to comment prior to the conclusion of those investigations.
	The identification of 'gangs' in prison is not always straightforward given the loose and fluid nature of affiliations and the inherent difficulties of defining a 'gang' separately from other groups. Gang-related issues have been and continue to be managed within the overall framework to manage prisons and provide a safe and decent environment. Where gang-related issues are pronounced, governors work with local police forces to share information as necessary.

Prisoners: Alcohol

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether there are circumstances in which prisoners are permitted to consume alcohol while in custody; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many investigations concerning the use of alcohol by prisoners have taken place in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Consumption of alcohol is not permitted in prison under any circumstances. Prison rule 25 (1) states:
	"No prisoner shall be allowed to have any intoxicating liquor."
	Under the Offender Management Act (2007) it is a criminal offence for prisoners to bring, or attempt to bring, alcohol in to a prison without prior authorisation.
	Where a prisoner is found to have broken prison rules they will be subject to internal disciplinary proceedings rather than investigation.
	Numbers of proven offences under internal disciplinary procedures of prisoners consuming alcohol during the last five years is in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 185 
			 2006 216 
			 2007 243 
			 2008 281 
			 2009 233 
			  Note:  Numbers for 2010 are not yet available. 
		
	
	A copy of prison rules is available in the Library of the House.

Prisons: Closed Circuit Television

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether CCTV was in operation at HM Prison Ford at the time of the disturbances in December 2010 and January 2011.

Crispin Blunt: HMP Ford does have CCTV equipment. The use of CCTV at the prison during the disturbance is something the NOMS investigation will comment on and it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the findings of this investigation, or the police investigation which is also ongoing.

Prisons: Discipline

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the terms of reference are for the inquiry into the disturbances at HM Prison Ford in December 2010 and January 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The Commissioning Officer, Michael Spurr (chief executive officer, NOMS) appointed Ian Mulholland, the Investigating Officer, to investigate the events surrounding the disturbance at HMP Ford on 31 December 2010 and 1 January 2011: to determine what occurred; to establish the causes and chronology of events; how the incident was managed; and, to identify learning to enable the service to prevent or better manage such incidents at Ford and elsewhere across the estate in future.
	He specifically asked the Investigating Officer to consider:
	The events that led to the disturbance, what occurred and whether preventative action could have been taken, including:
	Any intelligence or risk assessment made prior to and during the disturbance;
	The level of staffing on duty.
	The response to and management of the incident itself, including:
	The "first at scene", Silver and Gold arrangements;
	Deployment of national resources and joint working with the emergency services.
	Any underlying issues/factors which may have contributed to the disturbance including any aspects of the general management of the prison which may have had an impact.

Prisons: Discipline

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice at what time Ministers in his Department were first informed of the disturbance at HM Prison Ford; and what steps Ministers took in response.

Crispin Blunt: In line with the usual protocols when Gold Command is opened in response to an incident, my Private Office were informed first at approximately 3 am on Saturday 1 January. I was informed later in the morning when the incident escalated and received regular updates thereafter. I visited the Gold Command suite in London on the same day and also briefed the press. On the morning of 2 January I visited HMP Ford. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Justice was also informed of the incident.

Prisons: Discipline

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what methods the Prison Service uses at HM prison Ford to assess whether disturbances are likely.

Crispin Blunt: HMP Ford conducts a daily operational briefing which discusses recent and forthcoming operational issues. The security manager submits a weekly report to the regional office, including a section on the stability of the prison, a monthly security meeting also assesses the stability of the prison.

Prisons: Discipline

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers were on duty at the outbreak of the recent disturbance at HM Prison Ford; and for how many prisoners they were responsible.

Crispin Blunt: Two prison officers and four operational support grades were on duty at the outbreak of the disturbance. The population of Ford at the time of the disturbance was 487.

Prisons: Manpower

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's minimum recommended ratio of prison officers to prisoners is for an open prison.

Crispin Blunt: There are no minimum recommended ratios of prison officer to prisoners in open prisons. Each prison is individually risk assessed and minimum staffing levels are agreed with the Regional Manager Custodial and Director of Offender Management.

Prostitution: Newham

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for  (a) kerb crawling,  (b) soliciting for the purposes of prostitution in a public place,  (c) keeping a brothel and  (d) control of prostitution in respect of offences committed in the London Borough of Newham in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.  [Official Report, 21 March 2011, Vol. 525, c. 19MC.]

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for selected prostitution related offences in the Metropolitan police force area for the years 2008 to 2009 can be viewed in the table.
	Information at borough level is not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for selected prostitution related offences in the Metropolitan  police force area  for the years 2008 - 09( 1,2,3) 
			  Offence  2008  2009 
			 Kerb crawling 165 117 
			 Soliciting for the purposes of prostitution in a public place 114 65 
			 Keeping a brothel 5 10 
			 Control of prostitution 16 4 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions:  Kerb, crawling: Sexual Offences Act 1985, S.1 kerb crawling Sexual Offences Act 1985, S.2 Persistent soliciting of person or persons for the purpose of prostitution  Soliciting for the purposes of prostitution in a public place: Sexual Offences Act 1985, S.1 Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution  Keeping a brothel: Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.33A as added by the Sexual Offences Act 1967 Keeping a brothel for prostitution Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.34 Letting premises for use as a brothel Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.34 Letting premises for use as a brothel for homosexual practices Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.35 Tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.35 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.53 Tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel for homosexual practices Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.33 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967 Keeping a brothel for homosexual practices  Control of prostitution: Sexual Offences Act 2001 S.53 Controlling prostitution for gain  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Ranby Prison: Manpower

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed at Ranby prison.

Crispin Blunt: On 30 September 2010, there were 488 staff employed at HMP Ranby, with a full-time equivalent of 464, having accounted for part-time staff.

Reoffenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate after  (a) 12 and  (b) 24 months for prisoners aged (i) 21 years or less and (ii) 18 years or less on release from prison was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The latest reconviction data are based on offences committed within one year of an offender being discharged from custody. We are currently consulting on a new reoffending measure which includes plans to publish one and two-year reoffending rates.
	Reconviction rates are published separately for adults (those aged 18 years or older) and juveniles (those aged between 10 and 17).
	Table la shows the reconviction rate for adult offenders discharged from custody broken down by age band. Table lb shows the reconviction rate for juvenile offenders discharged from custody.
	
		
			  Table la: Adult one-year reconviction rates for offenders discharged from custody in Q1 2008, by age band 
			  Age band  Number of offenders  Reconviction rate (percentage) 
			 18-20 2,185 57.6 
			 21 -24 3,009 50.7 
			 25-29 3,313 53.8 
			 30-34 2,435 51.7 
			 35-39 1,953 49.0 
			 40-49 2,293 40.8 
			 50+ 911 25.8 
			 Total 16,099 49.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Table lb: Juvenile (aged 10 to 17) one-year reconviction rates for offenders discharged from custody in Q1 2008 
			  Age band  Number of offenders  Reconviction rate (percentage) 
			 10 to 17 816 73.4 
		
	
	More information on the reoffending rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm

Reoffenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate after  (a) 12 and  (b) 24 months for prisoners released from prison following a sentence of (i) 12 months or less, (ii) between one and four years and (iii) more than four years was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The latest reconviction data are based on offences committed within one year of an offender being discharged from custody. We are currently consulting on a new reoffending measure which includes plans to publish one and two year reoffending rates.
	The following table shows the number and one year reconviction rate of adult offenders who were released from custody in the first quarter of 2008.
	
		
			  One year reconviction rate for offenders released from custody in the first quarter of 2008 
			  Sentence length  Number of offenders  Reconviction rate (percentage) 
			 Less than 12 months 10,251 61.1 
			 Between one and four years 4,533 32.2 
			 Four years and over 1,315 17.6 
			 Total 16,099 49.4 
		
	
	Further information on adult reconviction is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Reoffenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate after  (a) 12 and  (b) 24 months for persons discharged from approved premises was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Reconviction data for persons discharged from approved premises are not available. Further information on adult reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Reoffenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate after  (a) 12 and  (b) 24 months is for persons sentenced to (i) a community order, (ii) a community order with a programme requirement and (iii) a community order with a curfew tag requirement was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The latest re-conviction data provided are based on offences committed within one year of an offender commencing a court order under probation supervision.
	Table 1 shows the re-conviction rates for offenders commencing a community order under probation supervision between January and March 2008, including those with accredited programme and curfew requirements.
	
		
			  Table 1: Adult one-year re-conviction rates for offenders commencing a community order in Q1 2008, by requirement type 
			   Number of offenders  Re-conviction rate (percentage) 
			 Community order 27,504 36.4 
			 Accredited programme(1) 5,708 40.9 
			 Curfew(1) 2,762 43.8 
			 (1) Stand alone or in combination with other requirements. 
		
	
	Re-conviction rates provided here should not be compared to assess the effectiveness of sentences, as there is no control for known differences in offender characteristics.
	Further breakdowns of two-year re-conviction data are not available. However the latest headline two-year re-conviction rates published are for the 2006 cohort. For adult offenders 51.9% were re-convicted in two years.
	We are currently consulting on a new re-offending measure which includes plans to publish one and two-year re-offending rates on a consistent basis.
	More information on the re-conviction rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Reoffenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate after  (a) 12 and  (b) 24 months for persons sentenced to (i) unpaid work and (ii) unpaid work with additional requirements was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The latest reconviction data provided are based on offences committed within one year of an offender commencing a court order under probation supervision. We are currently consulting on a new reoffending measure which includes plans to publish one and two year reoffending rates.
	The following table shows the reconviction rates for offenders sentenced to a court order under probation supervision between January and March 2008, with unpaid work and unpaid work with additional requirements.
	
		
			  Adult one-year reconviction rates for offenders commencing court order with an unpaid work requirement in Q1 2008 
			   Number of offenders  Reconviction rate (percentage) 
			 Unpaid work 11,546 24.1 
			 Unpaid work with additional requirements 7,528 33.4 
			 Total unpaid work(1) 19,074 27.8 
			 (1) Stand alone or in combination with other requirements 
		
	
	Reconviction rates provided here should not be compared to assess the effectiveness of sentences, as there is no control for known differences in offender characteristics.
	More information on the reconviction rates is available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Sentencing Green Paper

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget his Department has set for its planned consultation events on the Sentencing Green Paper.

Crispin Blunt: The cost of consultation events will be met within existing budgets of policy areas developing proposals and therefore no overall budget has been set. Costs will be kept to a minimum, and for those 11 events already planned it is estimated that they will cost no more than £10,000.

Sentencing: Young People

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of suspended sentences given to 18 to 20-year-olds were breached leading to the activation of a custodial sentence in the last three years for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, data are available on the reasons for termination of suspended sentence orders during the supervision period of the order. These reasons include early termination for failure to comply with requirements or for conviction of a further offence. The number and proportion of suspended sentence orders which terminated for these reasons for the years 2007 to 2009 for 18 to 20-year-olds are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Failure to comply with requirements  Convicted of further offence 
			   Number  Proportion of all SSO terminations  Number  Proportion of all SSO terminations 
			 2007 1,381 30 941 20 
			 2008 1,395 21 1,258 19 
			 2009 1,243 18 1,259 18 
			  Note: It is not possible to compare percentages in 2007 with later years because not enough time had elapsed since these orders were introduced in April 2005 to allow a sufficiently high percentage to run their full course. 
		
	
	In addition, the figures for receptions into prison of 18 to 20-year-olds for breach of a Suspended Sentence Order were 913 in 2007, 1,040 in 2008 and 824 in 2009.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Separation: Cohabitation

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of introducing guidance on the division of the estates of co-habiting couples who separate.

Jonathan Djanogly: This Government are considering the published research on the impact of the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006, which contains provisions for cohabitants when their relationship ends, along with the proposals set out in the Law Commission's report, 'Cohabitation: The 'Financial Consequences of Relationship Breakdown' published in 2007.
	We will announce shortly the outcome of that consideration and in advance of this it would be premature to consider the introduction of guidance.

Squatting

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2010,  Official Report, column 126W, on squatting: crime, under what circumstances squatting in residential properties may be considered an act of peaceful protest.

Crispin Blunt: Our review of the law in relation to squatting is not only looking at squatting in residential properties but also squatting in non-residential properties. As part of that package we need to take account of all of the coalition commitments, including those to uphold the right to peaceful protest and to guard against the proliferation of unnecessary criminal offences.
	Protestors have in the past occupied residential properties (e.g. to protest on the roofs of the homes of political figures) and non-residential buildings (e.g. to stage a sit-in to protest against the policies of an employer) to generate publicity for their causes. These may not be typical cases of 'squatting', but we need to recognise the various forms trespass can take when exploring the possibilities for strengthening the law in this area.